diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index 5ba4c32a..9dfd4e4d 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ func configureEncoder() (yqlib.Encoder, error) {
 	yqlib.ConfiguredKYamlPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
 	yqlib.ConfiguredPropertiesPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
 	yqlib.ConfiguredJSONPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
+	yqlib.ConfiguredShellVariablesPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
 
 	yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences.ColorsEnabled = colorsEnabled
 	yqlib.ConfiguredKYamlPreferences.ColorsEnabled = colorsEnabled
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables.go
index 39236703..769252ba 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables.go
@@ -57,7 +57,13 @@ func (pe *shellVariablesEncoder) doEncode(w *io.Writer, node *CandidateNode, pat
 			// let's just pick a fallback key to use if we are encoding a single scalar
 			nonemptyPath = "value"
 		}
-		_, err := io.WriteString(*w, nonemptyPath+"="+quoteValue(node.Value)+"\n")
+		var valueString string
+		if pe.prefs.UnwrapScalar {
+			valueString = node.Value
+		} else {
+			valueString = quoteValue(node.Value)
+		}
+		_, err := io.WriteString(*w, nonemptyPath+"="+valueString+"\n")
 		return err
 	case SequenceNode:
 		for index, child := range node.Content {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables_test.go
index d41ad663..e5a91e12 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_shellvariables_test.go
@@ -135,3 +135,36 @@ func TestShellVariablesEncoderCustomSeparatorArray(t *testing.T) {
 func TestShellVariablesEncoderCustomSeparatorSingleChar(t *testing.T) {
 	assertEncodesToWithSeparator(t, "a:\n b: value", "aXb=value", "X")
 }
+
+func assertEncodesToUnwrapped(t *testing.T, yaml string, shellvars string) {
+	var output bytes.Buffer
+	writer := bufio.NewWriter(&output)
+
+	originalUnwrapScalar := ConfiguredShellVariablesPreferences.UnwrapScalar
+	defer func() {
+		ConfiguredShellVariablesPreferences.UnwrapScalar = originalUnwrapScalar
+	}()
+
+	ConfiguredShellVariablesPreferences.UnwrapScalar = true
+
+	var encoder = NewShellVariablesEncoder()
+	inputs, err := readDocuments(strings.NewReader(yaml), "test.yml", 0, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	node := inputs.Front().Value.(*CandidateNode)
+	err = encoder.Encode(writer, node)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	writer.Flush()
+
+	test.AssertResult(t, shellvars, strings.TrimSuffix(output.String(), "\n"))
+}
+
+func TestShellVariablesEncoderUnwrapScalar(t *testing.T) {
+	assertEncodesToUnwrapped(t, "a: Lewis Carroll", "a=Lewis Carroll")
+	assertEncodesToUnwrapped(t, "b: 123", "b=123")
+	assertEncodesToUnwrapped(t, "c: true", "c=true")
+	assertEncodesToUnwrapped(t, "d: value with spaces", "d=value with spaces")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables.go b/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables.go
index 75801cda..d111a98a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/shellvariables.go
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ package yqlib
 
 type ShellVariablesPreferences struct {
 	KeySeparator string
+	UnwrapScalar bool
 }
 
 func NewDefaultShellVariablesPreferences() ShellVariablesPreferences {
 	return ShellVariablesPreferences{
 		KeySeparator: "_",
+		UnwrapScalar: false,
 	}
 }