diff --git a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
index 550c0de..a770187 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -91,7 +89,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             }),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', b'command; exit\n'),
             ('test-vm2', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -238,7 +235,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': 'local-command',
                 'stdout': None,
                 'stderr': None,
@@ -270,7 +266,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             }),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.WaitForSession', b'user'),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -302,7 +297,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             }),
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.WaitForSession', b'user'),
             ('test-vm', 'service.name', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -318,7 +312,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('$dispvm', 'test.service', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -334,7 +327,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('$dispvm:test-vm', 'test.service', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -356,7 +348,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('disp123', 'test.service', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -378,7 +369,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('disp123', 'test.service', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
@@ -406,7 +396,6 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
         self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
-                'filter_esc': self.default_filter_esc(),
                 'localcmd': None,
                 'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
diff --git a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
index 1215778..8acddfe 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ def main(args=None, app=None):
         # connect process output to stdout/err directly if --pass-io is given
         run_kwargs['stdout'] = None
         run_kwargs['stderr'] = None
+        if not args.localcmd and args.filter_esc:
+            run_kwargs['filter_esc'] = True
 
     if isinstance(args.app, qubesadmin.app.QubesLocal) and \
             not args.passio and \
@@ -205,13 +207,11 @@ def main(args=None, app=None):
                     proc = vm.run_service(args.cmd,
                         user=args.user,
                         localcmd=args.localcmd,
-                        filter_esc=args.filter_esc,
                         **run_kwargs)
                 else:
                     proc = vm.run_service('qubes.VMShell',
                         user=args.user,
                         localcmd=args.localcmd,
-                        filter_esc=args.filter_esc,
                         **run_kwargs)
                     proc.stdin.write(vm.prepare_input_for_vmshell(args.cmd))
                     proc.stdin.flush()