diff --git a/kitty/cli.py b/kitty/cli.py
index d645af813..71f1388d1 100644
--- a/kitty/cli.py
+++ b/kitty/cli.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import os
 import re
-import shlex
 import sys
 from collections import deque
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@ from .fast_data_types import wcswidth
 from .options.types import Options as KittyOpts
 from .types import run_once
 from .typing import BadLineType, TypedDict
+from .utils import shlex_split
 
 
 class CompletionType(Enum):
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class CompletionSpec:
     @staticmethod
     def from_string(raw: str) -> 'CompletionSpec':
         self = CompletionSpec()
-        for x in shlex.split(raw):
+        for x in shlex_split(raw):
             ck, vv = x.split(':', 1)
             if ck == 'type':
                 self.type = getattr(CompletionType, vv)
diff --git a/kitty/conf/utils.py b/kitty/conf/utils.py
index ff36fcb73..da70eb6fe 100644
--- a/kitty/conf/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/conf/utils.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import os
 import re
-import shlex
 import sys
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import (
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ from ..fast_data_types import Color
 from ..rgb import to_color as as_color
 from ..types import ConvertibleToNumbers, ParsedShortcut, run_once
 from ..typing import Protocol
-from ..utils import expandvars, log_error
+from ..utils import expandvars, log_error, shlex_split
 
 key_pat = re.compile(r'([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*)\s+(.+)$')
 ItemParser = Callable[[str, str, Dict[str, Any]], bool]
@@ -94,7 +93,6 @@ class ToCmdline:
         return self
 
     def __call__(self, x: str, expand: bool = True) -> List[str]:
-        ans = shlex.split(x)
         if expand:
             ans = list(
                 map(
@@ -103,9 +101,11 @@ class ToCmdline:
                         os.environ if self.override_env is None else self.override_env,
                         fallback_to_os_env=False
                     ),
-                    ans
+                    shlex_split(x)
                 )
             )
+        else:
+            ans = list(shlex_split(x))
         return ans
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/main.py b/kitty/main.py
index c844b93ac..f9c6a7767 100644
--- a/kitty/main.py
+++ b/kitty/main.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ from .utils import (
     log_error,
     parse_os_window_state,
     safe_mtime,
+    shlex_split,
     single_instance,
     startup_notification_handler,
     unix_socket_paths,
@@ -358,9 +359,8 @@ def macos_cmdline(argv_args: List[str]) -> List[str]:
             raw = f.read()
     except FileNotFoundError:
         return argv_args
-    import shlex
     raw = raw.strip()
-    ans = shlex.split(raw)
+    ans = list(shlex_split(raw))
     if ans and ans[0] == 'kitty':
         del ans[0]
     return ans
diff --git a/kitty/options/utils.py b/kitty/options/utils.py
index d87131625..0463cf34f 100644
--- a/kitty/options/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/options/utils.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ from kitty.fonts import FontFeature, FontModification, ModificationType, Modific
 from kitty.key_names import character_key_name_aliases, functional_key_name_aliases, get_key_name_lookup
 from kitty.rgb import color_as_int
 from kitty.types import FloatEdges, MouseEvent
-from kitty.utils import expandvars, log_error, resolve_abs_or_config_path
+from kitty.utils import expandvars, log_error, resolve_abs_or_config_path, shlex_split
 
 KeyMap = Dict[SingleKey, List['KeyDefinition']]
 MouseMap = Dict[MouseEvent, str]
@@ -262,8 +262,7 @@ def move_window(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
 
 @func_with_args('pipe')
 def pipe(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
-    import shlex
-    r = shlex.split(rest)
+    r = list(shlex_split(rest))
     if len(r) < 3:
         log_error('Too few arguments to pipe function')
         r = ['none', 'none', 'true']
@@ -272,8 +271,7 @@ def pipe(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
 
 @func_with_args('set_colors')
 def set_colors(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
-    import shlex
-    r = shlex.split(rest)
+    r = list(shlex_split(rest))
     if len(r) < 1:
         log_error('Too few arguments to set_colors function')
     return func, r
@@ -366,12 +364,11 @@ def parse_marker_spec(ftype: str, parts: Sequence[str]) -> Tuple[str, Union[str,
 
 @func_with_args('toggle_marker')
 def toggle_marker(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
-    import shlex
     parts = rest.split(maxsplit=1)
     if len(parts) != 2:
         raise ValueError(f'{rest} is not a valid marker specification')
     ftype, spec = parts
-    parts = shlex.split(spec)
+    parts = list(shlex_split(spec))
     return func, list(parse_marker_spec(ftype, parts))
 
 
@@ -411,8 +408,7 @@ def mouse_selection(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
 
 @func_with_args('load_config_file')
 def load_config_file(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
-    import shlex
-    return func, shlex.split(rest)
+    return func, list(shlex_split(rest))
 # }}}
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/session.py b/kitty/session.py
index 0ef440ef8..9123c4f4c 100644
--- a/kitty/session.py
+++ b/kitty/session.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from .options.types import Options
 from .options.utils import resize_window, to_layout_names, window_size
 from .os_window_size import WindowSize, WindowSizeData, WindowSizes
 from .typing import SpecialWindowInstance
-from .utils import cmdline_for_hold, expandvars, log_error, resolve_custom_file, resolved_shell, which
+from .utils import cmdline_for_hold, expandvars, log_error, resolve_custom_file, resolved_shell, shlex_split, which
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .launch import LaunchSpec
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class Session:
         needs_expandvars = False
         if isinstance(cmd, str):
             needs_expandvars = True
-            cmd = shlex.split(cmd)
+            cmd = list(shlex_split(cmd))
         spec = parse_launch_args(cmd)
         if needs_expandvars:
             assert isinstance(cmd, list)
diff --git a/kitty/tabs.py b/kitty/tabs.py
index 42d5fdb32..666d0dc11 100644
--- a/kitty/tabs.py
+++ b/kitty/tabs.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ from .layout.interface import create_layout_object_for, evict_cached_layouts
 from .tab_bar import TabBar, TabBarData
 from .types import ac
 from .typing import EdgeLiteral, SessionTab, SessionType, TypedDict
-from .utils import cmdline_for_hold, log_error, platform_window_id, resolved_shell
+from .utils import cmdline_for_hold, log_error, platform_window_id, resolved_shell, shlex_split
 from .window import CwdRequest, Watchers, Window, WindowDict
 from .window_list import WindowList
 
@@ -472,14 +472,11 @@ class Tab:  # {{{
                         cwd = old_exe
                         cmd = resolved_shell(get_options())
                     elif not is_executable:
-                        import shlex
-
-                        from .utils import which
                         with suppress(OSError):
                             with open(old_exe) as f:
                                 if f.read(2) == '#!':
                                     line = f.read(4096).splitlines()[0]
-                                    cmd[:0] = shlex.split(line)
+                                    cmd[:0] = shlex_split(line)
                                 else:
                                     cmd[:0] = [resolved_shell(get_options())[0]]
                                 cmd[0] = which(cmd[0]) or cmd[0]
diff --git a/kitty/utils.py b/kitty/utils.py
index ae88599bc..2f5b6cb5f 100644
--- a/kitty/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/utils.py
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ def get_hostname(fallback: str = '') -> str:
 
 def resolve_editor_cmd(editor: str, shell_env: Mapping[str, str]) -> Optional[str]:
     import shlex
-    editor_cmd = shlex.split(editor)
+    editor_cmd = list(shlex_split(editor))
     editor_exe = (editor_cmd or ('',))[0]
     if editor_exe and os.path.isabs(editor_exe):
         return editor
@@ -663,19 +663,17 @@ def get_editor_from_env(env: Mapping[str, str]) -> Optional[str]:
 
 
 def get_editor_from_env_vars(opts: Optional[Options] = None) -> List[str]:
-    import shlex
-
     editor = get_editor_from_env(os.environ)
     if not editor:
         shell_env = read_shell_environment(opts)
         editor = get_editor_from_env(shell_env)
 
     for ans in (editor, 'vim', 'nvim', 'vi', 'emacs', 'hx', 'kak', 'micro', 'nano', 'vis'):
-        if ans and which(shlex.split(ans)[0], only_system=True):
+        if ans and which(next(shlex_split(ans)), only_system=True):
             break
     else:
         ans = 'vim'
-    return shlex.split(ans)
+    return list(shlex_split(ans))
 
 
 def get_editor(opts: Optional[Options] = None, path_to_edit: str = '', line_number: int = 0) -> List[str]:
@@ -689,8 +687,7 @@ def get_editor(opts: Optional[Options] = None, path_to_edit: str = '', line_numb
     if opts.editor == '.':
         ans = get_editor_from_env_vars()
     else:
-        import shlex
-        ans = shlex.split(opts.editor)
+        ans = list(shlex_split(opts.editor))
     ans[0] = os.path.expanduser(ans[0])
     if path_to_edit:
         if line_number:
@@ -770,7 +767,6 @@ def resolved_shell(opts: Optional[Options] = None) -> List[str]:
     if q == '.':
         ans = [shell_path]
     else:
-        import shlex
         env = {}
         if opts is not None:
             env['TERM'] = opts.term
@@ -783,7 +779,7 @@ def resolved_shell(opts: Optional[Options] = None) -> List[str]:
             env['USER'] = pwd.getpwuid(os.geteuid()).pw_name
         def expand(x: str) -> str:
             return expandvars(x, env)
-        ans = list(map(expand, shlex.split(q)))
+        ans = list(map(expand, shlex_split(q)))
     return ans