diff --git a/src/gn/compile_commands_writer.cc b/src/gn/compile_commands_writer.cc
index d0367fc..05e78d0 100644
--- a/src/gn/compile_commands_writer.cc
+++ b/src/gn/compile_commands_writer.cc
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@
   bool has_precompiled_headers =
       target->config_values().has_precompiled_headers();
 
-  flags.defines = FlagsGetter<std::string>(target, &ConfigValues::defines,
-                                           DefineWriter(ESCAPE_SPACE, true));
+  flags.defines =
+      FlagsGetter<std::string>(target, &ConfigValues::defines,
+                               DefineWriter(ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE));
 
   flags.framework_dirs =
       FlagsGetter<SourceDir>(target, &ConfigValues::framework_dirs,
@@ -84,10 +85,10 @@
 
   flags.frameworks = FlagsGetter<std::string>(
       target, &ConfigValues::frameworks,
-      FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_SPACE, true, "-framework"));
+      FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE, "-framework"));
   flags.frameworks += FlagsGetter<std::string>(
       target, &ConfigValues::weak_frameworks,
-      FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_SPACE, true, "-weak_framework"));
+      FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE, "-weak_framework"));
 
   flags.includes = FlagsGetter<SourceDir>(target, &ConfigValues::include_dirs,
                                           IncludeWriter(path_output));
diff --git a/src/gn/compile_commands_writer_unittest.cc b/src/gn/compile_commands_writer_unittest.cc
index 9bbb076..29e6a57 100644
--- a/src/gn/compile_commands_writer_unittest.cc
+++ b/src/gn/compile_commands_writer_unittest.cc
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@
   target.config_values().defines().push_back("BOOL_DEF");
   target.config_values().defines().push_back("INT_DEF=123");
   target.config_values().defines().push_back("STR_DEF=\"ABCD 1\"");
+  target.config_values().defines().push_back("INCLUDE=<header.h>");
   ASSERT_TRUE(target.OnResolved(&err));
   targets.push_back(&target);
 
@@ -244,7 +245,8 @@
   std::string out = writer.RenderJSON(build_settings(), targets);
 
   const char expected[] =
-      "-DBOOL_DEF -DINT_DEF=123 -DSTR_DEF=\\\\\\\"ABCD\\\\ 1\\\\\\\"";
+      "-DBOOL_DEF -DINT_DEF=123 \\\"-DSTR_DEF=\\\\\\\"ABCD 1\\\\\\\"\\\" "
+      "\\\"-DINCLUDE=\\u003Cheader.h>\\\"";
   EXPECT_TRUE(out.find(expected) != std::string::npos);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gn/escape.cc b/src/gn/escape.cc
index 1874905..3c8dc3f 100644
--- a/src/gn/escape.cc
+++ b/src/gn/escape.cc
@@ -89,6 +89,36 @@
   return i;
 }
 
+inline bool ShouldEscapeCharForCompilationDatabase(char ch) {
+  return ch == '\\' || ch == '"';
+}
+
+size_t EscapeStringToString_CompilationDatabase(const std::string_view& str,
+                                                const EscapeOptions& options,
+                                                char* dest,
+                                                bool* needed_quoting) {
+  size_t i = 0;
+  bool quote = false;
+  for (const auto& elem : str) {
+    if (static_cast<unsigned>(elem) >= 0x80 ||
+        !kShellValid[static_cast<int>(elem)]) {
+      quote = true;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (quote)
+    dest[i++] = '"';
+
+  for (const auto& elem : str) {
+    if (ShouldEscapeCharForCompilationDatabase(elem))
+      dest[i++] = '\\';
+    dest[i++] = elem;
+  }
+  if (quote)
+    dest[i++] = '"';
+  return i;
+}
+
 size_t EscapeStringToString_Depfile(const std::string_view& str,
                                     const EscapeOptions& options,
                                     char* dest,
@@ -224,6 +254,9 @@
       return EscapeStringToString_Ninja(str, options, dest, needed_quoting);
     case ESCAPE_DEPFILE:
       return EscapeStringToString_Depfile(str, options, dest, needed_quoting);
+    case ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE:
+      return EscapeStringToString_CompilationDatabase(str, options, dest,
+                                                      needed_quoting);
     case ESCAPE_NINJA_COMMAND:
       switch (options.platform) {
         case ESCAPE_PLATFORM_CURRENT:
diff --git a/src/gn/escape.h b/src/gn/escape.h
index 78e6544..31f972e 100644
--- a/src/gn/escape.h
+++ b/src/gn/escape.h
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
   // characters which we want to pass to the shell (like when writing tool
   // commands). Only Ninja "$" are escaped.
   ESCAPE_NINJA_PREFORMATTED_COMMAND,
+
+  // Shell escaping as described by JSON Compilation Database spec:
+  // Parameters use shell quoting and shell escaping of quotes, with ‘"’ and ‘\’
+  // being the only special characters.
+  ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE,
 };
 
 enum EscapingPlatform {
diff --git a/src/gn/escape_unittest.cc b/src/gn/escape_unittest.cc
index afc2bc4..004498e 100644
--- a/src/gn/escape_unittest.cc
+++ b/src/gn/escape_unittest.cc
@@ -101,3 +101,12 @@
   EscapeJSONStringToStream(out2, "a: \"$\\b", opts);
   EXPECT_EQ("a: \\\"$$\\\\b", buffer2.str());
 }
+
+TEST(Escape, CompilationDatabase) {
+  EscapeOptions opts;
+  opts.mode = ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE;
+
+  // The only special characters are '"' and '\'.
+  std::string result = EscapeString("asdf:$ \\#*[|]bar", opts, nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ("\"asdf:$ \\\\#*[|]bar\"", result);
+}
diff --git a/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util.h b/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util.h
index 022d5e7..d9d30bc 100644
--- a/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util.h
+++ b/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util.h
@@ -17,24 +17,14 @@
 
 struct DefineWriter {
   DefineWriter() { options.mode = ESCAPE_NINJA_COMMAND; }
-  DefineWriter(EscapingMode mode, bool escape_strings)
-      : escape_strings(escape_strings) {
-    options.mode = mode;
-  }
+  DefineWriter(EscapingMode mode) { options.mode = mode; }
 
   void operator()(const std::string& s, std::ostream& out) const {
     out << " ";
-    if (escape_strings) {
-      std::string dest;
-      base::EscapeJSONString(s, false, &dest);
-      EscapeStringToStream(out, "-D" + dest, options);
-      return;
-    }
     EscapeStringToStream(out, "-D" + s, options);
   }
 
   EscapeOptions options;
-  bool escape_strings = false;
 };
 
 struct FrameworkDirsWriter {
@@ -59,29 +49,19 @@
 
 struct FrameworksWriter {
   explicit FrameworksWriter(const std::string& tool_switch)
-      : FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_NINJA_COMMAND, false, tool_switch) {}
-  FrameworksWriter(EscapingMode mode,
-                   bool escape_strings,
-                   const std::string& tool_switch)
-      : escape_strings_(escape_strings), tool_switch_(tool_switch) {
+      : FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_NINJA_COMMAND, tool_switch) {}
+  FrameworksWriter(EscapingMode mode, const std::string& tool_switch)
+      : tool_switch_(tool_switch) {
     options_.mode = mode;
   }
 
   void operator()(const std::string& s, std::ostream& out) const {
     out << " " << tool_switch_;
     std::string_view framework_name = GetFrameworkName(s);
-
-    if (escape_strings_) {
-      std::string dest;
-      base::EscapeJSONString(framework_name, false, &dest);
-      EscapeStringToStream(out, dest, options_);
-      return;
-    }
     EscapeStringToStream(out, framework_name, options_);
   }
 
   EscapeOptions options_;
-  bool escape_strings_;
   std::string tool_switch_;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util_unittest.cc b/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util_unittest.cc
index 248db30..8da62d3 100644
--- a/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util_unittest.cc
+++ b/src/gn/ninja_target_command_util_unittest.cc
@@ -57,13 +57,9 @@
 #endif
              {"FOO", "BAR=1", "BAZ=\"Baz\""});
 
-  TestWriter(DefineWriter(ESCAPE_NINJA_COMMAND, true),
-// Escaping is different between Windows and Posix.
-#if defined(OS_WIN)
-             " -DFOO -DBAR=1 \"-DBAZ=\\\\\\\"Baz\\\\\\\"\"",
-#else
-             " -DFOO -DBAR=1 -DBAZ=\\\\\\\"Baz\\\\\\\"",
-#endif
+  TestWriter(DefineWriter(ESCAPE_COMPILATION_DATABASE),
+             // Escaping is different between Windows and Posix.
+             " -DFOO -DBAR=1 \"-DBAZ=\\\"Baz\\\"\"",
              {"FOO", "BAR=1", "BAZ=\"Baz\""});
 }
 
@@ -94,7 +90,7 @@
 #endif
              {"Foundation.framework", "Name With Spaces.framework"});
 
-  TestWriter(FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_SPACE, true, "-framework "),
+  TestWriter(FrameworksWriter(ESCAPE_SPACE, "-framework "),
              " -framework Foundation -framework Name\\ With\\ Spaces",
              {"Foundation.framework", "Name With Spaces.framework"});
 }