diff --git a/IPython/core/completer.py b/IPython/core/completer.py
index 52fa216..744954e 100644
--- a/IPython/core/completer.py
+++ b/IPython/core/completer.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ import sys
 
 from IPython.config.configurable import Configurable
 from IPython.core.error import TryNext
-from IPython.core.prefilter import ESC_MAGIC
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import ESC_MAGIC
 from IPython.utils import generics
 from IPython.utils import io
 from IPython.utils.dir2 import dir2
diff --git a/IPython/core/inputsplitter.py b/IPython/core/inputsplitter.py
index c0183d1..1b3fa02 100644
--- a/IPython/core/inputsplitter.py
+++ b/IPython/core/inputsplitter.py
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ ESC_SH_CAP = '!!'    # Send line to system shell and capture output
 ESC_HELP   = '?'     # Find information about object
 ESC_HELP2  = '??'    # Find extra-detailed information about object
 ESC_MAGIC  = '%'     # Call magic function
+ESC_MAGIC2 = '%%'    # Call cell-magic function
 ESC_QUOTE  = ','     # Split args on whitespace, quote each as string and call
 ESC_QUOTE2 = ';'     # Quote all args as a single string, call
 ESC_PAREN  = '/'     # Call first argument with rest of line as arguments
diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index 1be626d..28d1e04 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ from IPython.core.extensions import ExtensionManager
 from IPython.core.fakemodule import FakeModule, init_fakemod_dict
 from IPython.core.formatters import DisplayFormatter
 from IPython.core.history import HistoryManager
-from IPython.core.inputsplitter import IPythonInputSplitter
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import IPythonInputSplitter, ESC_MAGIC, ESC_MAGIC2
 from IPython.core.logger import Logger
 from IPython.core.macro import Macro
 from IPython.core.payload import PayloadManager
 from IPython.core.plugin import PluginManager
-from IPython.core.prefilter import PrefilterManager, ESC_MAGIC, ESC_CELL_MAGIC
+from IPython.core.prefilter import PrefilterManager
 from IPython.core.profiledir import ProfileDir
 from IPython.core.pylabtools import pylab_activate
 from IPython.core.prompts import PromptManager
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
         oname = oname.strip()
         #print '1- oname: <%r>' % oname  # dbg
         if not oname.startswith(ESC_MAGIC) and \
-            not oname.startswith(ESC_CELL_MAGIC) and \
+            not oname.startswith(ESC_MAGIC2) and \
             not py3compat.isidentifier(oname, dotted=True):
             return dict(found=False)
 
@@ -1409,8 +1409,8 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
         # Try to see if it's magic
         if not found:
             obj = None
-            if oname.startswith(ESC_CELL_MAGIC):
-                oname = oname.lstrip(ESC_CELL_MAGIC)
+            if oname.startswith(ESC_MAGIC2):
+                oname = oname.lstrip(ESC_MAGIC2)
                 obj = self.find_cell_magic(oname)
             elif oname.startswith(ESC_MAGIC):
                 oname = oname.lstrip(ESC_MAGIC)
diff --git a/IPython/core/magic.py b/IPython/core/magic.py
index c9a723d..2a88833 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magic.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magic.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from getopt import getopt, GetoptError
 from IPython.config.configurable import Configurable
 from IPython.core import oinspect
 from IPython.core.error import UsageError
-from IPython.core.prefilter import ESC_MAGIC
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import ESC_MAGIC
 from IPython.external.decorator import decorator
 from IPython.utils.ipstruct import Struct
 from IPython.utils.process import arg_split
diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/basic.py b/IPython/core/magics/basic.py
index 2784ce1..534a210 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/basic.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/basic.py
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ from pprint import pformat
 
 # Our own packages
 from IPython.core.error import UsageError
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import ESC_MAGIC
 from IPython.core.magic import Magics, magics_class, line_magic
-from IPython.core.prefilter import ESC_MAGIC
 from IPython.utils.text import format_screen
 from IPython.core import magic_arguments, page
 from IPython.testing.skipdoctest import skip_doctest
diff --git a/IPython/core/prefilter.py b/IPython/core/prefilter.py
index 059fb2a..3ccbd54 100644
--- a/IPython/core/prefilter.py
+++ b/IPython/core/prefilter.py
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@ import re
 from IPython.core.alias import AliasManager
 from IPython.core.autocall import IPyAutocall
 from IPython.config.configurable import Configurable
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import (
+    ESC_SHELL,
+    ESC_SH_CAP,
+    ESC_HELP,
+    ESC_MAGIC,
+    ESC_MAGIC2,
+    ESC_QUOTE,
+    ESC_QUOTE2,
+    ESC_PAREN,
+)
 from IPython.core.macro import Macro
 from IPython.core.splitinput import split_user_input, LineInfo
 from IPython.core import page
@@ -44,17 +54,6 @@ from IPython.utils.autoattr import auto_attr
 # Global utilities, errors and constants
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# Warning, these cannot be changed unless various regular expressions
-# are updated in a number of places.  Not great, but at least we told you.
-ESC_SHELL  = '!'
-ESC_SH_CAP = '!!'
-ESC_HELP   = '?'
-ESC_MAGIC  = '%'
-ESC_CELL_MAGIC = ESC_MAGIC * 2
-ESC_QUOTE  = ','
-ESC_QUOTE2 = ';'
-ESC_PAREN  = '/'
-
 
 class PrefilterError(Exception):
     pass