diff --git a/autoload/diff.vim b/autoload/diff.vim
index 2989029..c52e6fe 100644
--- a/autoload/diff.vim
+++ b/autoload/diff.vim
@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@ let s:hunk_re = '^@@ -\(\d\+\),\?\(\d*\) +\(\d\+\),\?\(\d*\) @@'
 
 
 function! diff#run_diff(realtime, use_external_grep)
-  let cmd = 'git ls-files --error-unmatch ' . shellescape(utility#file()) . ' && ('
+  let cmd = 'git ls-files --error-unmatch ' . utility#shellescape(utility#file()) . ' && ('
 
   if a:realtime
-    let blob_name = ':' . shellescape(utility#file_relative_to_repo_root())
+    let blob_name = ':' . utility#shellescape(utility#file_relative_to_repo_root())
     let blob_file = tempname()
     let cmd .= 'git show ' . blob_name . ' > ' . blob_file .
           \ ' && diff -U0 ' . g:gitgutter_diff_args . ' ' . blob_file . ' - '
   else
-    let cmd .= 'git diff --no-ext-diff --no-color -U0 ' . g:gitgutter_diff_args . ' ' . shellescape(utility#file())
+    let cmd .= 'git diff --no-ext-diff --no-color -U0 ' . g:gitgutter_diff_args . ' ' . utility#shellescape(utility#file())
   endif
 
   if a:use_external_grep && s:grep_available
diff --git a/autoload/utility.vim b/autoload/utility.vim
index e649288..16cc614 100644
--- a/autoload/utility.vim
+++ b/autoload/utility.vim
@@ -8,6 +8,23 @@ function! utility#slash()
   return !exists("+shellslash") || &shellslash ? '/' : '\'
 endfunction
 
+" A replacement for the built-in `shellescape(arg)`.
+"
+" Recent versions of Vim handle shell escaping pretty well.  However older
+" versions aren't as good.  This attempts to do the right thing.
+"
+" See:
+" https://github.com/tpope/vim-fugitive/blob/8f0b8edfbd246c0026b7a2388e1d883d579ac7f6/plugin/fugitive.vim#L29-L37
+function! utility#shellescape(arg)
+  if a:arg =~ '^[A-Za-z0-9_/.-]\+$'
+    return a:arg
+  elseif &shell =~# 'cmd'
+    return '"' . substitute(substitute(a:arg, '"', '""', 'g'), '%', '"%"', 'g') . '"'
+  else
+    return shellescape(a:arg)
+  endif
+endfunction
+
 function! utility#current_file()
   return expand('%:p')
 endfunction
@@ -58,7 +75,7 @@ function! utility#file_relative_to_repo_root()
 endfunction
 
 function! utility#command_in_directory_of_file(cmd)
-  let directory_of_file = shellescape(fnamemodify(utility#file(), ':h'))
+  let directory_of_file = utility#shellescape(fnamemodify(utility#file(), ':h'))
   return 'cd ' . directory_of_file . ' && ' . a:cmd
 endfunction