diff --git a/strbuf_helpers.c b/strbuf_helpers.c
index 0d7d3d08..d444eaca 100644
--- a/strbuf_helpers.c
+++ b/strbuf_helpers.c
@@ -70,6 +70,19 @@ static int is_shellmeta(char c)
   return !(isalnum(c) || c == '.' || c == '-' || c == '/' || c == ':' || c == '+' || c == '_' || c == ',');
 }
 
+strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quote(strbuf sb, const char *word)
+{
+  strbuf_putc(sb, '\'');
+  const char *p;
+  for (p = word; *p; ++p)
+    if (*p == '\'')
+      strbuf_puts(sb, "'\\''");
+    else
+      strbuf_putc(sb, *p);
+  strbuf_putc(sb, '\'');
+  return sb;
+}
+
 strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quotemeta(strbuf sb, const char *word)
 {
   const char *p;
@@ -77,17 +90,10 @@ strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quotemeta(strbuf sb, const char *word)
   for (p = word; *p && !hasmeta; ++p)
     if (is_shellmeta(*p))
       hasmeta = 1;
-  if (hasmeta) {
-    strbuf_putc(sb, '\'');
-    for (p = word; *p; ++p)
-      if (*p == '\'')
-	strbuf_puts(sb, "'\\''");
-      else
-	strbuf_putc(sb, *p);
-    strbuf_putc(sb, '\'');
-  } else {
+  if (!word[0] || hasmeta)
+    strbuf_append_shell_quote(sb, word);
+  else
     strbuf_puts(sb, word);
-  }
   return sb;
 }
 
diff --git a/strbuf_helpers.h b/strbuf_helpers.h
index 05ff4e99..43bc026b 100644
--- a/strbuf_helpers.h
+++ b/strbuf_helpers.h
@@ -27,7 +27,13 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
  */
 strbuf strbuf_append_poll_events(strbuf sb, short events);
 
-/* Append a string with shell metacharacters and spaces quoted.
+/* Append a string as a quoted shell word.
+ * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
+ */
+strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quote(strbuf sb, const char *word);
+
+/* Append a string as a shell word, quoted if it contains shell metacharacters
+ * or spaces.
  * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
  */
 strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quotemeta(strbuf sb, const char *word);