diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Concepts.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Concepts.qll
index b4d2a64cb45..8ea64a1373c 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Concepts.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Concepts.qll
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ private import semmle.python.security.internal.EncryptionKeySizes
  * extend `SystemCommandExecution::Range` instead.
  */
 class SystemCommandExecution extends DataFlow::Node instanceof SystemCommandExecution::Range {
+  /** Holds if a shell interprets `arg`. */
+  predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { super.isShellInterpreted(arg) }
+
   /** Gets the argument that specifies the command to be executed. */
   DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result = super.getCommand() }
 }
@@ -35,6 +38,9 @@ module SystemCommandExecution {
   abstract class Range extends DataFlow::Node {
     /** Gets the argument that specifies the command to be executed. */
     abstract DataFlow::Node getCommand();
+
+    /** Holds if a shell interprets `arg`. */
+    predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { none() }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Fabric.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Fabric.qll
index 5fd9d2afe18..31511dbeaf4 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Fabric.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Fabric.qll
@@ -43,13 +43,19 @@ private module FabricV1 {
        * - https://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.14/api/core/operations.html#fabric.operations.run
        * - https://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.14/api/core/operations.html#fabric.operations.sudo
        */
-      private class FabricApiLocalRunSudoCall extends SystemCommandExecution::Range,
-        DataFlow::CallCfgNode {
+      private class FabricApiLocalRunSudoCall extends SystemCommandExecution::Range, API::CallNode {
         FabricApiLocalRunSudoCall() { this = api().getMember(["local", "run", "sudo"]).getACall() }
 
         override DataFlow::Node getCommand() {
           result = [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("command")]
         }
+
+        override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) {
+          arg = this.getCommand() and
+          // defaults to running in a shell
+          not this.getParameter(1, "shell").asSink().asExpr().(ImmutableLiteral).booleanValue() =
+            false // TODO: Test this in unsafe-shell-command-construction - and add tracking as a separate step.
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -161,6 +167,8 @@ private module FabricV2 {
       override DataFlow::Node getCommand() {
         result = [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("command")]
       }
+
+      override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
     }
 
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -243,6 +251,8 @@ private module FabricV2 {
         override DataFlow::Node getCommand() {
           result = [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("command")]
         }
+
+        override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
       }
 
       /**
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Invoke.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Invoke.qll
index b1ceb078907..30637610ac9 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Invoke.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Invoke.qll
@@ -81,5 +81,7 @@ private module Invoke {
     override DataFlow::Node getCommand() {
       result in [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("command")]
     }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
   }
 }
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
index 3fce979c147..d3512aca668 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
@@ -1060,7 +1060,11 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
   private class OsSystemCall extends SystemCommandExecution::Range, DataFlow::CallCfgNode {
     OsSystemCall() { this = os().getMember("system").getACall() }
 
-    override DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result = this.getArg(0) }
+    override DataFlow::Node getCommand() {
+      result in [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("command")]
+    }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1071,7 +1075,7 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
    * Although deprecated since version 2.6, they still work in 2.7.
    * See https://docs.python.org/2.7/library/os.html#os.popen2
    */
-  private class OsPopenCall extends SystemCommandExecution::Range, DataFlow::CallCfgNode {
+  private class OsPopenCall extends SystemCommandExecution::Range, API::CallNode {
     string name;
 
     OsPopenCall() {
@@ -1085,6 +1089,8 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
       not name = "popen" and
       result = this.getArgByName("cmd")
     }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1103,6 +1109,10 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     override DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result = this.getArg(0) }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getAPathArgument() { result = this.getCommand() }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) {
+      none() // this is a safe API.
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1129,6 +1139,10 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getAPathArgument() { result = this.getCommand() }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) {
+      none() // this is a safe API.
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1142,6 +1156,10 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     override DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result in [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("path")] }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getAPathArgument() { result = this.getCommand() }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) {
+      none() // this is a safe API.
+    }
   }
 
   /** An additional taint step for calls to `os.path.join` */
@@ -1186,6 +1204,7 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     }
 
     private boolean get_shell_arg_value() {
+      // TODO: API-node this thing - with added tests for unsafe-shell-command-construction
       not exists(this.get_shell_arg()) and
       result = false
       or
@@ -1239,6 +1258,11 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
         )
       )
     }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) {
+      arg = this.get_executable_arg() and
+      this.get_shell_arg_value() = true
+    }
   }
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1385,6 +1409,8 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result in [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("cmd")] }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
   }
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1401,6 +1427,8 @@ private module StdlibPrivate {
     PlatformPopenCall() { this = platform().getMember("popen").getACall() }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getCommand() { result in [this.getArg(0), this.getArgByName("cmd")] }
+
+    override predicate isShellInterpreted(DataFlow::Node arg) { arg = this.getCommand() }
   }
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------