diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/shellvariables.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/shellvariables.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2919715
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/shellvariables.md
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+
+## Encode shell variables
+Note that comments are dropped and values will be enclosed in single quotes as needed.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+# comment
+name: Mike Wazowski
+eyes:
+  color: turquoise
+  number: 1
+friends:
+  - James P. Sullivan
+  - Celia Mae
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq -o=shell sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```sh
+name='Mike Wazowski'
+eyes_color=turquoise
+eyes_number=1
+friends_0='James P. Sullivan'
+friends_1='Celia Mae'
+```
+
+## Encode shell variables: illegal variable names as key.
+Keys that would be illegal as variable keys are adapted.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+ascii_=_symbols: replaced with _
+"ascii_	_controls": dropped (this example uses \t)
+nonascii_א_characters: dropped
+effrot_expeñded_tò_preserve_accented_latin_letters: moderate (via unicode NFKD)
+
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq -o=shell sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```sh
+ascii___symbols='replaced with _'
+ascii__controls='dropped (this example uses \t)'
+nonascii__characters=dropped
+effrot_expended_to_preserve_accented_latin_letters='moderate (via unicode NFKD)'
+```
+
+## Encode shell variables: empty values, arrays and maps
+Empty values are encoded to empty variables, but empty arrays and maps are skipped.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+empty:
+  value:
+  array: []
+  map:   {}
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq -o=shell sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```sh
+empty_value=
+```
+
+## Encode shell variables: single quotes in values
+Single quotes in values are encoded as '"'"' (close single quote, double-quoted single quote, open single quote).
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+name: Miles O'Brien
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq -o=shell sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```sh
+name='Miles O'"'"'Brien'
+```
+
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a922734e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+package yqlib
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/test"
+)
+
+var shellVariablesScenarios = []formatScenario{
+	{
+		description:    "Encode shell variables",
+		subdescription: "Note that comments are dropped and values will be enclosed in single quotes as needed.",
+		input: "" +
+			"# comment" + "\n" +
+			"name: Mike Wazowski" + "\n" +
+			"eyes:" + "\n" +
+			"  color: turquoise" + "\n" +
+			"  number: 1" + "\n" +
+			"friends:" + "\n" +
+			"  - James P. Sullivan" + "\n" +
+			"  - Celia Mae",
+		expected: "" +
+			"name='Mike Wazowski'" + "\n" +
+			"eyes_color=turquoise" + "\n" +
+			"eyes_number=1" + "\n" +
+			"friends_0='James P. Sullivan'" + "\n" +
+			"friends_1='Celia Mae'" + "\n",
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Encode shell variables: illegal variable names as key.",
+		subdescription: "Keys that would be illegal as variable keys are adapted.",
+		input: "" +
+			"ascii_=_symbols: replaced with _" + "\n" +
+			"\"ascii_\t_controls\": dropped (this example uses \\t)" + "\n" +
+			"nonascii_\u05d0_characters: dropped" + "\n" +
+			"effrot_expe\u00f1ded_t\u00f2_preserve_accented_latin_letters: moderate (via unicode NFKD)" + "\n",
+		expected: "" +
+			"ascii___symbols='replaced with _'" + "\n" +
+			"ascii__controls='dropped (this example uses \\t)'" + "\n" +
+			"nonascii__characters=dropped" + "\n" +
+			"effrot_expended_to_preserve_accented_latin_letters='moderate (via unicode NFKD)'" + "\n",
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Encode shell variables: empty values, arrays and maps",
+		subdescription: "Empty values are encoded to empty variables, but empty arrays and maps are skipped.",
+		input:          "empty:\n  value:\n  array: []\n  map:   {}",
+		expected:       "empty_value=" + "\n",
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Encode shell variables: single quotes in values",
+		subdescription: "Single quotes in values are encoded as '\"'\"' (close single quote, double-quoted single quote, open single quote).",
+		input:          "name: Miles O'Brien",
+		expected:       `name='Miles O'"'"'Brien'` + "\n",
+	},
+}
+
+func TestShellVariableScenarios(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, s := range shellVariablesScenarios {
+		//fmt.Printf("\t<%s> <%s>\n", s.expected, mustProcessFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences), NewShellVariablesEncoder()))
+		test.AssertResultWithContext(t, s.expected, mustProcessFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences), NewShellVariablesEncoder()), s.description)
+	}
+	genericScenarios := make([]interface{}, len(shellVariablesScenarios))
+	for i, s := range shellVariablesScenarios {
+		genericScenarios[i] = s
+	}
+	documentScenarios(t, "usage", "shellvariables", genericScenarios, documentShellVaraibleScenario)
+}
+
+func documentShellVaraibleScenario(_ *testing.T, w *bufio.Writer, i interface{}) {
+	s := i.(formatScenario)
+	if s.skipDoc {
+		return
+	}
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("## %v\n", s.description))
+
+	if s.subdescription != "" {
+		writeOrPanic(w, s.subdescription)
+		writeOrPanic(w, "\n\n")
+	}
+
+	writeOrPanic(w, "Given a sample.yml file of:\n")
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```yaml\n%v\n```\n", s.input))
+
+	writeOrPanic(w, "then\n")
+
+	expression := s.expression
+
+	if expression != "" {
+		writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```bash\nyq -o=shell '%v' sample.yml\n```\n", expression))
+	} else {
+		writeOrPanic(w, "```bash\nyq -o=shell sample.yml\n```\n")
+	}
+	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
+
+	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```sh\n%v```\n\n", mustProcessFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences), NewShellVariablesEncoder())))
+}