diff --git a/examples/test-proper-json-usage.mjs b/examples/test-proper-json-usage.mjs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..204d118
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/test-proper-json-usage.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { $ } from '../src/$.mjs';
+import fs from 'fs';
+
+// Proper usage test - demonstrates the correct way to use JSON with shell commands
+console.log('🔍 Proper JSON usage test...');
+
+const jsonData = {
+  name: "Test Project",
+  description: "A project with \"quotes\" and 'apostrophes'",
+  scripts: {
+    test: "echo \"Running tests\"",
+    build: "node build.js --env='production'"
+  },
+  config: {
+    special: "Value with `backticks` and $variables"
+  }
+};
+
+const jsonString = JSON.stringify(jsonData, null, 2);
+const outputFile = '/tmp/proper-json-test.json';
+
+console.log('📝 Original JSON:');
+console.log(jsonString);
+console.log();
+
+// CORRECT USAGE: Write to file using redirection
+console.log('✅ Writing JSON to file using shell redirection...');
+const cmd1 = $({ mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString} > ${outputFile}`;
+console.log('Command:', cmd1.spec.command.substring(0, 80) + '...');
+
+await cmd1;
+
+// Read back and validate
+console.log('📖 Reading back from file...');
+const fileContent = await fs.promises.readFile(outputFile, 'utf-8');
+console.log('File content:');
+console.log(fileContent);
+console.log();
+
+console.log('🔍 Validating JSON from file...');
+try {
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(fileContent);
+  console.log('✅ SUCCESS: File contains valid JSON!');
+  console.log('✅ Name:', parsed.name);
+  console.log('✅ Description contains quotes:', parsed.description.includes('"quotes"') && parsed.description.includes("'apostrophes'"));
+  console.log('✅ Special chars preserved:', parsed.config.special.includes('`backticks`') && parsed.config.special.includes('$variables'));
+} catch (e) {
+  console.log('❌ FAILED: File JSON is invalid:', e.message);
+}
+
+console.log();
+
+// ALTERNATIVE USAGE: Just echo to stdout (what the user might expect)
+console.log('✅ Echoing JSON to stdout for processing...');
+const result = await $({ capture: true, mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+const stdoutJson = result.stdout.trim();
+
+console.log('🔍 Validating JSON from stdout...');
+try {
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(stdoutJson);
+  console.log('✅ SUCCESS: Stdout contains valid JSON!');
+  console.log('✅ Can be piped to other commands or processed');
+} catch (e) {
+  console.log('❌ FAILED: Stdout JSON is invalid:', e.message);
+  console.log('Raw stdout:', JSON.stringify(stdoutJson));
+}
+
+console.log();
+
+// Show the difference between old and new behavior
+console.log('🔍 Comparison - the old behavior would have looked like:');
+console.log("OLD: echo '{  \"name\": \"Test Project\",  \"description\": \"A project with \\\"quotes\\\" and '\\''apostrophes'\\''\",...}'");
+console.log('NEW:', cmd1.spec.command.substring(0, 120) + '...');
+console.log('✅ The new behavior properly preserves JSON structure!');
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6723c5b..6ac902d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "command-stream",
-  "version": "0.7.1",
+  "version": "0.7.2",
   "description": "Modern $ shell utility library with streaming, async iteration, and EventEmitter support, optimized for Bun runtime",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/$.mjs",
diff --git a/src/$.mjs b/src/$.mjs
index 46c7258..cfc096d 100755
--- a/src/$.mjs
+++ b/src/$.mjs
@@ -728,6 +728,7 @@ function quote(value) {
   if (typeof value !== 'string') value = String(value);
   if (value === '') return "''";
   
+  
   // If the value is already properly quoted and doesn't need further escaping,
   // check if we can use it as-is or with simpler quoting
   if (value.startsWith("'") && value.endsWith("'") && value.length >= 2) {
@@ -1649,6 +1650,14 @@ class ProcessRunner extends StreamEmitter {
                                 this.spec.command.includes('||') || 
                                 this.spec.command.includes('(') ||
                                 this.spec.command.includes(';') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' > ') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' >> ') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' < ') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' 2> ') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' 2>> ') ||
+                                this.spec.command.includes(' &> ') ||
+                                /\s>\s*[^\s]/.test(this.spec.command) ||  // Handle >file without spaces
+                                /\s>>\s*[^\s]/.test(this.spec.command) || // Handle >>file without spaces  
                                 (this.spec.command.includes('cd ') && this.spec.command.includes('&&'));
       
       // Intelligent detection: disable shell operators for streaming patterns
@@ -1700,7 +1709,7 @@ class ProcessRunner extends StreamEmitter {
             commandCount: parsed.commands?.length
           }, null, 2)}`);
           return await this._runPipeline(parsed.commands);
-        } else if (parsed.type === 'simple' && virtualCommandsEnabled && virtualCommands.has(parsed.cmd) && !this.options._bypassVirtual) {
+        } else if (parsed.type === 'simple' && virtualCommandsEnabled && virtualCommands.has(parsed.cmd) && !this.options._bypassVirtual && !needsRealShell(this.spec.command)) {
           // For built-in virtual commands that have real counterparts (like sleep),
           // skip the virtual version when custom stdin is provided to ensure proper process handling
           const hasCustomStdin = this.options.stdin && 
diff --git a/src/shell-parser.mjs b/src/shell-parser.mjs
index edbf011..97a2b0c 100644
--- a/src/shell-parser.mjs
+++ b/src/shell-parser.mjs
@@ -356,6 +356,9 @@ export function needsRealShell(command) {
     '*',     // Glob patterns
     '?',     // Glob patterns
     '[',     // Glob patterns
+    '>',     // Output redirection (basic)
+    '>>',    // Append redirection
+    '<',     // Input redirection
     '2>',    // stderr redirection
     '&>',    // Combined redirection
     '>&',    // File descriptor duplication
diff --git a/tests/json-escaping.test.mjs b/tests/json-escaping.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66cf1df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/json-escaping.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+import { $ } from '../src/$.mjs';
+import { test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import './test-helper.mjs'; // Automatically sets up beforeEach/afterEach cleanup
+import fs from 'fs';
+
+test('JSON escaping - basic JSON string interpolation', async () => {
+  const jsonData = { name: "test", value: "with 'quotes' and \"double quotes\"" };
+  const jsonString = JSON.stringify(jsonData);
+  
+  // Test command generation
+  const cmd = $({ mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+  expect(cmd.spec.command).toMatch(/^echo ".*"$/);
+  
+  // Test actual execution
+  const result = await $({ capture: true, mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(result.stdout.trim());
+  
+  expect(parsed.name).toBe("test");
+  expect(parsed.value).toBe("with 'quotes' and \"double quotes\"");
+});
+
+test('JSON escaping - complex JSON with nested quotes and special characters', async () => {
+  const jsonData = {
+    name: "Test Project",
+    description: "A project with \"quotes\" and 'apostrophes'",
+    scripts: {
+      test: "echo \"Running tests\"",
+      build: "node build.js --env='production'"
+    },
+    config: {
+      special: "Value with `backticks` and $variables"
+    }
+  };
+  
+  const jsonString = JSON.stringify(jsonData, null, 2);
+  
+  // Test that the JSON can be echoed and parsed back correctly
+  const result = await $({ capture: true, mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(result.stdout.trim());
+  
+  expect(parsed.name).toBe("Test Project");
+  expect(parsed.description).toContain('"quotes"');
+  expect(parsed.description).toContain("'apostrophes'");
+  expect(parsed.scripts.test).toBe('echo "Running tests"');
+  expect(parsed.config.special).toContain('`backticks`');
+  expect(parsed.config.special).toContain('$variables');
+});
+
+test('JSON escaping - file redirection works with JSON strings', async () => {
+  const jsonData = { test: "value with 'quotes'" };
+  const jsonString = JSON.stringify(jsonData);
+  const outputFile = '/tmp/json-test-' + Math.random().toString(36).substring(7) + '.json';
+  
+  try {
+    // Write JSON to file using redirection
+    await $`echo ${jsonString} > ${outputFile}`;
+    
+    // Read back and verify
+    const fileContent = await fs.promises.readFile(outputFile, 'utf-8');
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(fileContent.trim());
+    
+    expect(parsed.test).toBe("value with 'quotes'");
+  } finally {
+    // Cleanup
+    try {
+      await fs.promises.unlink(outputFile);
+    } catch (e) {
+      // Ignore cleanup errors
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test('JSON escaping - JSON arrays are handled correctly', async () => {
+  const jsonArray = [
+    { name: "Item 1", value: "test 'with' quotes" },
+    { name: "Item 2", value: 'another "test" case' }
+  ];
+  
+  const jsonString = JSON.stringify(jsonArray);
+  
+  const result = await $({ capture: true, mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(result.stdout.trim());
+  
+  expect(Array.isArray(parsed)).toBe(true);
+  expect(parsed).toHaveLength(2);
+  expect(parsed[0].value).toBe("test 'with' quotes");
+  expect(parsed[1].value).toBe('another "test" case');
+});
+
+test('JSON escaping - non-JSON strings with braces use old logic', async () => {
+  const nonJsonString = "{ this is not json but has braces }";
+  
+  const cmd = $({ mirror: false })`echo ${nonJsonString}`;
+  
+  // Should be quoted with single quotes since it's not JSON-like
+  expect(cmd.spec.command).toBe("echo '{ this is not json but has braces }'");
+});
+
+test('JSON escaping - empty and edge case objects', async () => {
+  const testCases = [
+    {},
+    { "": "" },
+    { key: null },
+    { key: true },
+    { key: 123 }
+  ];
+  
+  for (const testCase of testCases) {
+    const jsonString = JSON.stringify(testCase);
+    const result = await $({ capture: true, mirror: false })`echo ${jsonString}`;
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(result.stdout.trim());
+    
+    expect(parsed).toEqual(testCase);
+  }
+});
\ No newline at end of file