diff --git a/mitmproxy/addons/export.py b/mitmproxy/addons/export.py
index 90e95d3ea..271fc49db 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/addons/export.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/addons/export.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import typing
+import shlex
 
 from mitmproxy import ctx
 from mitmproxy import command
@@ -18,20 +19,26 @@ def raise_if_missing_request(f: flow.Flow) -> None:
 
 def curl_command(f: flow.Flow) -> str:
     raise_if_missing_request(f)
-    data = "curl "
+    args = ["curl"]
     request = f.request.copy()  # type: ignore
     request.decode(strict=False)
     for k, v in request.headers.items(multi=True):
-        data += "-H '%s:%s' " % (k, v)
+        args += ["-H", shlex.quote("%s:%s" % (k, v))]
     if request.method != "GET":
-        data += "-X %s " % request.method
-    data += "'%s'" % request.url
+        args += ["-X", shlex.quote(request.method)]
+    args.append(shlex.quote(request.url))
     if request.content:
-        data += " --data-binary '%s'" % strutils.bytes_to_escaped_str(
-            request.content,
-            escape_single_quotes=True
-        )
-    return data
+        try:
+            content = strutils.always_str(request.content)
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            # shlex.quote doesn't support a bytes object
+            # see https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/10871
+            raise exceptions.CommandError("Request content must be valid unicode")
+        args += [
+            "--data-binary",
+            shlex.quote(strutils.always_str(request.content))
+        ]
+    return ' '.join(args)
 
 
 def httpie_command(f: flow.Flow) -> str:
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_export.py b/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_export.py
index f4bb0f648..5c365135c 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_export.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_export.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import shlex
 
 import pytest
 import pyperclip
@@ -47,23 +48,40 @@ def tcp_flow():
 
 class TestExportCurlCommand:
     def test_get(self, get_request):
-        result = """curl -H 'header:qvalue' -H 'content-length:0' 'http://address:22/path?a=foo&a=bar&b=baz'"""
+        result = """curl -H header:qvalue -H content-length:0 'http://address:22/path?a=foo&a=bar&b=baz'"""
         assert export.curl_command(get_request) == result
 
     def test_post(self, post_request):
-        result = "curl -H 'content-length:256' -X POST 'http://address:22/path' --data-binary '{}'".format(
-            str(bytes(range(256)))[2:-1]
-        )
+        post_request.request.content = b'nobinarysupport'
+        result = "curl -H content-length:15 -X POST http://address:22/path --data-binary nobinarysupport"
         assert export.curl_command(post_request) == result
 
+    def test_fails_with_binary_data(self, post_request):
+        # shlex.quote doesn't support a bytes object
+        # see https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/10871
+        with pytest.raises(exceptions.CommandError):
+            export.curl_command(post_request)
+
     def test_patch(self, patch_request):
-        result = """curl -H 'header:qvalue' -H 'content-length:7' -X PATCH 'http://address:22/path?query=param' --data-binary 'content'"""
+        result = """curl -H header:qvalue -H content-length:7 -X PATCH 'http://address:22/path?query=param' --data-binary content"""
         assert export.curl_command(patch_request) == result
 
     def test_tcp(self, tcp_flow):
         with pytest.raises(exceptions.CommandError):
             export.curl_command(tcp_flow)
 
+    def test_escape_single_quotes_in_body(self):
+        request = tflow.tflow(
+            req=tutils.treq(
+                method=b'POST',
+                headers=(),
+                content=b"'&#"
+            )
+        )
+        command = export.curl_command(request)
+        assert shlex.split(command)[-2] == '--data-binary'
+        assert shlex.split(command)[-1] == "'&#"
+
 
 class TestExportHttpieCommand:
     def test_get(self, get_request):