diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/shellescape/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/shellescape/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2d7309d88215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/shellescape/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchFromGitHub
+, pytestCheckHook
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  pname = "shellescape";
+  version = "3.8.1";
+
+  src = fetchFromGitHub {
+    owner = "chrissimpkins";
+    repo = "shellescape";
+    rev = "v${version}";
+    hash = "sha256-HAe3Qf3lLeVWw/tVkW0J+CfoxSoOnCcWDR2nEWZn7HM=";
+  };
+
+  checkInputs = [ pytestCheckHook ];
+  pythonImportsCheck = [ "shellescape" ];
+
+  meta = with lib; {
+    description = "Shell escape a string to safely use it as a token in a shell command (backport of Python shlex.quote)";
+    homepage = "https://github.com/chrissimpkins/shellescape";
+    license = with licenses; [ mit psfl ];
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ veprbl ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index 8c5d9ecb1e53..52a2bbf83060 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -7938,6 +7938,8 @@ in {
 
   sh = callPackage ../development/python-modules/sh { };
 
+  shellescape = callPackage ../development/python-modules/shellescape { };
+
   shellingham = callPackage ../development/python-modules/shellingham { };
 
   shiboken2 = toPythonModule (callPackage ../development/python-modules/shiboken2 {