diff --git a/modules/ordo/util/shell-quote.scm b/modules/ordo/util/shell-quote.scm
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/modules/ordo/util/shell-quote.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+;; This file is part of Ordo.
+;;
+;; Shell quoting implementation is based on Perl's String::ShellQuote
+;; Copyright (c) 1997 Roderick Schertler.
+;;
+;; Guile implementation Copyright (c) 2025 Ray Miller.
+;;
+;; Ordo is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+;; the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+;; Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option)
+;; any later version.
+;;
+;; Ordo is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+;; WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
+;; A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+;;
+;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+;; Ordo. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+(define-module (ordo util shell-quote)
+  #:use-module (rx irregex)
+  #:use-module ((srfi srfi-197) #:select (chain))
+  #:export (shell-quote-string))
+
+(define unsafe-characters (irregex '(~ (or alphanumeric ("!%+,\\-./:=@^")))))
+
+(define (needs-escape? s)
+  (irregex-search unsafe-characters s))
+
+(define (escape s)
+  (define (squash-quotes m)
+    (let ((n (/ (- (irregex-match-end-index m)
+                   (irregex-match-start-index m))
+                4)))
+      (list->string (append
+                     '(#\' #\")
+                     (make-list n #\')
+                     '(#\" #\')))))
+  (chain s
+         ;; ' -> '\''
+         (irregex-replace/all (irregex "'") _ "'\\''")
+         ;; make multiple ' in a row look simpler
+         ;; '\'''\'''\'' -> '"'''"'
+         (irregex-replace/all (irregex '(>= 2 "'\\''")) _ squash-quotes)
+         ;; wrap in single quotes
+         (string-append "'" _ "'")
+         ;; kill leading/trailing pair of single quotes
+         (irregex-replace (irregex '(seq bos "''")) _ "")
+         (irregex-replace (irregex '(seq "''" eos)) _ "")))
+
+(define (shell-quote-string s)
+  "Quote strings for passing through the shell"
+  (if (needs-escape? s) (escape s) s))