diff --git a/lib/dtutils/string.lua b/lib/dtutils/string.lua
index ba4cd67..2da4c90 100644
--- a/lib/dtutils/string.lua
+++ b/lib/dtutils/string.lua
@@ -192,33 +192,28 @@ dtutils_string.libdoc.functions["sanitize"] = {
   Copyright = [[]],
 }
 
-function dtutils_string.sanitize(str)
-  local result = str
-  local os_quote = dt.configuration.running_os == "windows" and '"' or "'"
-  local escaped_os_quote = "\\" .. os_quote
-
-  if dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized(result) then
-    local pos = string.find(result, os_quote)
-    if not pos or pos > 1 then
-      result = os_quote .. result
-    end
-    pos = string.find(result, os_quote, string.len(result))
-    if not pos then
-      result = result .. os_quote
-    end
-    
-    if dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized(result) then --check for embedded os_quotes
-      pos = string.find(result, os_quote, 2)
-      while pos < string.len(result) do
-        if not string.find(result, escaped_os_quote, pos - 1) then
-          result = string.format("%s\\%s", string.sub(result, 1, pos -1), string.sub(result, pos))
-        end
-        pos = string.find(result, os_quote, pos+2)
-      end
-    end
+function dtutils_string.sanitize_posix(str)
+  if dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized(str) then
+      return "'" .. string.gsub(str, "'", "'\\''") .. "'"
+  else
+       return str
+  end
+end
+
+function dtutils_string.sanitize_windows(str)
+  if dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized(str) then
+      return "\"" .. string.gsub(str, "\"", "\"^\"\"") .. "\""
+  else
+      return str
+  end
+end
+
+function dtutils_string.sanitize(str)
+  if dt.configuration.running_os == "windows" then
+      return dtutils_string.sanitize_windows(str)
+  else
+      return dtutils_string.sanitize_posix(str)
   end
-  
-  return result
 end
 
 dtutils_string.libdoc.functions["is_not_sanitized"] = {
@@ -238,31 +233,40 @@ dtutils_string.libdoc.functions["is_not_sanitized"] = {
   Copyright = [[]],
 }
 
+function dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized_posix(str)
+   -- A sanitized string must be quoted.
+   if not string.match(str, "^'.*'$") then
+       return true
+   -- A quoted string containing no quote characters within is sanitized.
+   elseif string.match(str, "^'[^']*'$") then
+       return false
+   end
+   
+   -- Any quote characters within a sanitized string must be properly
+   -- escaped.
+   local quotesStripped = string.sub(str, 2, -2)
+   local escapedQuotesRemoved = string.gsub(quotesStripped, "'\\''", "")
+   if string.find(escapedQuotesRemoved, "'") then
+       return true
+   else
+       return false
+   end
+end
+
+function dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized_windows(str)
+   if not string.match(str, "^\".*\"$") then
+      return true
+   else
+      return false
+   end
+end
+
 function dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized(str)
-  local os_quote = dt.configuration.running_os == "windows" and '"' or "'"
-  local escaped_os_quote = "\\" .. os_quote
-  local length = string.len(str)
-  local not_sanitized = false
-
-  local pos = string.find(str, os_quote)
-  if pos == 1 then
-    if string.find(str, os_quote, length) then
-      pos = string.find(str, os_quote, 2)
-      while pos ~= length  do
-        if not  string.find(str, escaped_os_quote, pos - 1) then
-          not_sanitized = true
-        end
-        pos = string.find(str, os_quote, pos + 1)
-      end
-    else
-      not_sanitized = true
-    end
+  if dt.configuration.running_os == "windows" then
+      return dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized_windows(str)
   else
-    not_sanitized = true
+      return dtutils_string.is_not_sanitized_posix(str)
   end
-
-return not_sanitized
-
 end