diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index 79a53edb6..4f3ccdb1d 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from kitty.constants import (
     str_version, terminfo_dir
 )
 from kitty.options.types import Options
+from kitty.shell_integration import as_str_literal
 from kitty.shm import SharedMemory
 from kitty.types import run_once
 from kitty.utils import (
@@ -107,15 +108,11 @@ quote_pat = re.compile('([\\`"])')
 
 
 def quote_env_val(x: str, literal_quote: bool = False) -> str:
-    if not literal_quote:
-        x = quote_pat.sub(r'\\\1', x)
-        x = x.replace('$(', r'\$(')  # prevent execution with $()
-        return f'"{x}"'
-    if "'" in x:
-        x = quote_pat.sub(r'\\\1', x)
-        x = x.replace('$', r'\$')
-        return f'"{x}"'
-    return f"'{x}'"
+    if literal_quote:
+        return as_str_literal(x)
+    x = quote_pat.sub(r'\\\1', x)
+    x = x.replace('$(', r'\$(')  # prevent execution with $()
+    return f'"{x}"'
 
 
 def serialize_env(literal_env: Dict[str, str], env: Dict[str, str], base_env: Dict[str, str], for_python: bool = False) -> bytes:
diff --git a/kitty/shell_integration.py b/kitty/shell_integration.py
index 38d136ded..54081e219 100644
--- a/kitty/shell_integration.py
+++ b/kitty/shell_integration.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import json
 import os
 import subprocess
 from contextlib import suppress
-from typing import Dict, List, Optional
+from typing import Callable, Dict, List, Optional
 
 from .constants import shell_integration_dir
 from .fast_data_types import get_options
@@ -149,12 +149,41 @@ def setup_bash_env(env: Dict[str, str], argv: List[str]) -> None:
     argv.insert(1, '--posix')
 
 
+def as_str_literal(x: str) -> str:
+    parts = x.split("'")
+    return '"\'"'.join(f"'{x}'" for x in parts)
+
+
+def as_fish_str_literal(x: str) -> str:
+    return x.replace('\\', '\\\\').replace("'", "\\'")
+
+
+def posix_serialize_env(env: Dict[str, str], prefix: str = 'builtin export', sep: str = '=') -> str:
+    ans = []
+    for k, v in env.items():
+        ans.append(f'{prefix} {as_str_literal(k)}{sep}{as_str_literal(v)}')
+    return '\n'.join(ans)
+
+
+def fish_serialize_env(env: Dict[str, str]) -> str:
+    ans = []
+    for k, v in env.items():
+        ans.append(f'set -gx {as_fish_str_literal(k)} {as_fish_str_literal(v)}')
+    return '\n'.join(ans)
+
+
 ENV_MODIFIERS = {
     'fish': setup_fish_env,
     'zsh': setup_zsh_env,
     'bash': setup_bash_env,
 }
 
+ENV_SERIALIZERS: Dict[str, Callable[[Dict[str, str]], str]] = {
+    'zsh':  posix_serialize_env,
+    'bash': posix_serialize_env,
+    'fish': fish_serialize_env,
+}
+
 
 def get_supported_shell_name(path: str) -> Optional[str]:
     name = os.path.basename(path)
@@ -169,6 +198,13 @@ def shell_integration_allows_rc_modification(opts: Options) -> bool:
     return not (opts.shell_integration & {'disabled', 'no-rc'})
 
 
+def serialize_env(path: str, env: Dict[str, str]) -> str:
+    name = get_supported_shell_name(path)
+    if not name:
+        raise ValueError(f'{path} is not a supported shell')
+    return ENV_SERIALIZERS[name](env)
+
+
 def get_effective_ksi_env_var(opts: Optional[Options] = None) -> str:
     opts = opts or get_options()
     if 'disabled' in opts.shell_integration: