diff --git a/Annex/UntrustedFilePath.hs b/Annex/UntrustedFilePath.hs
index 0b2777ab47..df7ac3bd35 100644
--- a/Annex/UntrustedFilePath.hs
+++ b/Annex/UntrustedFilePath.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ module Annex.UntrustedFilePath where
 import Data.Char
 import System.FilePath
 
+import Utility.SafeOutput
+
 {- Given a string that we'd like to use as the basis for FilePath, but that
  - was provided by a third party and is not to be trusted, returns the closest
  - sane FilePath.
@@ -55,10 +57,7 @@ sanitizeLeadingFilePathCharacter s = s
 controlCharacterInFilePath :: FilePath -> Bool
 controlCharacterInFilePath = any (not . safechar)
   where
-	safechar c
-		| not (isControl c) = True
-		| c == '\t' = True
-		| otherwise = False
+	safechar c = safeOutputChar c && c /= '\n'
 
 {- ../ is a path traversal, no matter where it appears.
  -
diff --git a/Command/ExamineKey.hs b/Command/ExamineKey.hs
index 73dd77f7c5..b3a3cbab21 100644
--- a/Command/ExamineKey.hs
+++ b/Command/ExamineKey.hs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import Annex.Link
 import Backend
 import Types.Backend
 import Types.Key
-import Utility.SafeOutput
+import Utility.Terminal
 
 import Data.Char
 import qualified Data.ByteString as B
diff --git a/Command/Find.hs b/Command/Find.hs
index 05bd17f76f..5dd6a4aac8 100644
--- a/Command/Find.hs
+++ b/Command/Find.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import Types.Key
 import Git.FilePath
 import qualified Utility.Format
 import Utility.DataUnits
-import Utility.SafeOutput
+import Utility.Terminal
 
 cmd :: Command
 cmd = withAnnexOptions [annexedMatchingOptions] $ mkCommand $
diff --git a/Command/FindKeys.hs b/Command/FindKeys.hs
index f2a86cde50..e24075dacb 100644
--- a/Command/FindKeys.hs
+++ b/Command/FindKeys.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ module Command.FindKeys where
 import Command
 import qualified Command.Find
 import qualified Utility.Format
-import Utility.SafeOutput
+import Utility.Terminal
 
 cmd :: Command
 cmd = withAnnexOptions [keyMatchingOptions] $ Command.Find.mkCommand $
diff --git a/Utility/SafeOutput.hs b/Utility/SafeOutput.hs
index 275797adda..ee37d2c274 100644
--- a/Utility/SafeOutput.hs
+++ b/Utility/SafeOutput.hs
@@ -11,55 +11,27 @@
 
 module Utility.SafeOutput (
 	safeOutput,
-	IsTerminal(..),
-	checkIsTerminal,
+	safeOutputChar,
 ) where
 
 import Data.Char
 import qualified Data.ByteString as S
 import System.IO
-#ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
-import System.Win32.MinTTY (isMinTTYHandle)
-import System.Win32.File
-import System.Win32.Types
-import Graphics.Win32.Misc
-import Control.Exception
-#endif
 
 class SafeOutputtable t where
 	safeOutput :: t -> t
 
 instance SafeOutputtable String where
-	safeOutput = filter safeChar
+	safeOutput = filter safeOutputChar
 
 instance SafeOutputtable S.ByteString where
-	safeOutput = S.filter (safeChar . chr . fromIntegral)
+	safeOutput = S.filter (safeOutputChar . chr . fromIntegral)
 
-safeChar :: Char -> Bool
-safeChar c
+safeOutputChar :: Char -> Bool
+safeOutputChar c
 	| not (isControl c) = True
 	| c == '\n' = True
 	| c == '\t' = True
+	| c == '\DEL' = False
+	| ord c > 31 = True
 	| otherwise = False
-
-newtype IsTerminal = IsTerminal Bool
-
-checkIsTerminal :: Handle -> IO IsTerminal
-checkIsTerminal h = do
-#ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
-	b <- hIsTerminalDevice h
-	return (IsTerminal b)
-#else
-	b <- hIsTerminalDevice h
-	if b
-		then return (IsTerminal b)
-		else do
-			h' <- getStdHandle sTD_OUTPUT_HANDLE
-				`catch` \(_ :: IOError) ->
-					return nullHANDLE
-			if h == nullHANDLE
-				then return (IsTerminal False)
-				else do
-					b' <- isMinTTYHandle h'
-					return (IsTerminal b)
-#endif
diff --git a/Utility/Terminal.hs b/Utility/Terminal.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6835478410
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Utility/Terminal.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+{- Determining if output is to a terminal.
+ -
+ - Copyright 2023 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>
+ -
+ - License: BSD-2-clause
+ -}
+
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-tabs #-}
+
+module Utility.Terminal (
+	IsTerminal(..),
+	checkIsTerminal,
+) where
+
+import Data.Char
+import qualified Data.ByteString as S
+import System.IO
+#ifdef mingw32_HOST_OS
+import System.Win32.MinTTY (isMinTTYHandle)
+import System.Win32.File
+import System.Win32.Types
+import Graphics.Win32.Misc
+import Control.Exception
+#endif
+
+newtype IsTerminal = IsTerminal Bool
+
+checkIsTerminal :: Handle -> IO IsTerminal
+checkIsTerminal h = do
+#ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
+	b <- hIsTerminalDevice h
+	return (IsTerminal b)
+#else
+	b <- hIsTerminalDevice h
+	if b
+		then return (IsTerminal b)
+		else do
+			h' <- getStdHandle sTD_OUTPUT_HANDLE
+				`catch` \(_ :: IOError) ->
+					return nullHANDLE
+			if h == nullHANDLE
+				then return (IsTerminal False)
+				else do
+					b' <- isMinTTYHandle h'
+					return (IsTerminal b)
+#endif
diff --git a/git-annex.cabal b/git-annex.cabal
index f249e95af1..c11047d2da 100644
--- a/git-annex.cabal
+++ b/git-annex.cabal
@@ -1144,6 +1144,7 @@ Executable git-annex
     Utility.SshHost
     Utility.Su
     Utility.SystemDirectory
+    Utility.Terminal
     Utility.TimeStamp
     Utility.TList
     Utility.Tense