diff --git a/Lib/subprocess.py b/Lib/subprocess.py
index 74b049fde64..1b774bc6529 100644
--- a/Lib/subprocess.py
+++ b/Lib/subprocess.py
@@ -479,8 +479,8 @@ def list2cmdline(seq):
 
     2) A string surrounded by double quotation marks is
        interpreted as a single argument, regardless of white space
-       or pipe characters contained within.  A quoted string can be
-       embedded in an argument.
+       contained within.  A quoted string can be embedded in an
+       argument.
 
     3) A double quotation mark preceded by a backslash is
        interpreted as a literal double quotation mark.
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ def list2cmdline(seq):
         if result:
             result.append(' ')
 
-        needquote = (" " in arg) or ("\t" in arg) or ("|" in arg) or not arg
+        needquote = (" " in arg) or ("\t" in arg) or not arg
         if needquote:
             result.append('"')
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py b/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
index f69172a5af4..0f3f35d1868 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
@@ -477,8 +477,6 @@ class ProcessTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                          '"a\\\\b\\ c" d e')
         self.assertEqual(subprocess.list2cmdline(['ab', '']),
                          'ab ""')
-        self.assertEqual(subprocess.list2cmdline(['echo', 'foo|bar']),
-                         'echo "foo|bar"')
 
 
     def test_poll(self):