diff --git a/bandit/core/utils.py b/bandit/core/utils.py
index a8cbbbbc..e85ca191 100644
--- a/bandit/core/utils.py
+++ b/bandit/core/utils.py
@@ -297,3 +297,47 @@ def linerange_fix(node):
         if delta > 1:
             return range(start, node.sibling.lineno)
     return lines
+
+
+def concat_string(node, stop=None):
+    '''Builds a string from a ast.BinOp chain.
+
+    This will build a string from a series of ast.Str nodes wrapped in
+    ast.BinOp nodes. Somthing like "a" + "b" + "c" or "a %s" % val etc.
+    The provided node can be any participant in the BinOp chain.
+
+    :param node: (ast.Str or ast.BinOp) The node to process
+    :param stop: (ast.Str or ast.BinOp) Optional base node to stop at
+    :returns: (Tuple) the root node of the expression, the string value
+    '''
+    def _get(node, bits, stop=None):
+        if node != stop:
+            bits.append(
+                _get(node.left, bits, stop)
+                if isinstance(node.left, ast.BinOp)
+                else node.left)
+            bits.append(
+                _get(node.right, bits, stop)
+                if isinstance(node.right, ast.BinOp)
+                else node.right)
+
+    bits = [node]
+    while isinstance(node.parent, ast.BinOp):
+        node = node.parent
+    if isinstance(node, ast.BinOp):
+        _get(node, bits, stop)
+    return (node, " ".join([x.s for x in bits if isinstance(x, ast.Str)]))
+
+
+def get_called_name(node):
+    '''Get a function name from an ast.Call node.
+
+    An ast.Call node representing a method call with present differently to one
+    wrapping a function call: thing.call() vs call(). This helper will grab the
+    unqualified call name correctly in either case.
+
+    :param node: (ast.Call) the call node
+    :returns: (String) the function name
+    '''
+    func = node.func
+    return (func.attr if isinstance(func, ast.Attribute) else func.id)
diff --git a/bandit/plugins/injection_sql.py b/bandit/plugins/injection_sql.py
index 0cd49d6a..e3d1fc8d 100644
--- a/bandit/plugins/injection_sql.py
+++ b/bandit/plugins/injection_sql.py
@@ -14,75 +14,40 @@
 # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+import ast
+
 import bandit
-from bandit.core.test_properties import *
+from bandit.core import test_properties as test
 from bandit.core import utils
 
 
-def _ast_build_string(data):
-    # used to return a string representation of AST data
-
-    if isinstance(data, ast.Str):
-        # Already a string, just return the value
-        return utils.safe_str(data.s)
-
-    if isinstance(data, ast.BinOp):
-        # need to build the string from a binary operation
-        return _ast_binop_stringify(data)
-
-    if isinstance(data, ast.Name):
-        # a variable, stringify the variable name
-        return "[[" + utils.safe_str(data.id) + "]]"
-
-    return "XXX"  # placeholder for unaccounted for values
+def _check_string(data):
+    val = data.lower()
+    return ((val.startswith('select ') and ' from ' in val) or
+            val.startswith('insert into') or
+            (val.startswith('update ') and ' set ' in val) or
+            val.startswith('delete from '))
 
 
-def _ast_binop_stringify(data):
-    # used to recursively build a string from a binary operation
-    left = data.left
-    right = data.right
+def _evaluate_ast(node):
+    if not isinstance(node.parent, ast.BinOp):
+        return (False, "")
 
-    return _ast_build_string(left) + _ast_build_string(right)
+    out = utils.concat_string(node, node.parent)
+    if isinstance(out[0].parent, ast.Call):  # wrapped in "execute" call?
+        names = ['execute', 'executemany']
+        name = utils.get_called_name(out[0].parent)
+        return (name in names, out[1])
+    return (False, out[1])
 
 
-@checks('Str')
+@test.checks('Str')
 def hardcoded_sql_expressions(context):
-    statement = context.node.parent
-    if isinstance(statement, ast.Assign):
-        test_str = _ast_build_string(statement.value).lower()
-
-    elif isinstance(statement, ast.Expr):
-        test_str = ""
-        if isinstance(statement.value, ast.Call):
-            ctx_str = context.string_val.lower()
-            for arg in statement.value.args:
-                temp_str = _ast_build_string(arg).lower()
-                if ctx_str in temp_str:
-                    test_str = temp_str
-    else:
-        test_str = context.string_val.lower()
-
-    if (
-        (test_str.startswith('select ') and ' from ' in test_str) or
-        test_str.startswith('insert into') or
-        (test_str.startswith('update ') and ' set ' in test_str) or
-        test_str.startswith('delete from ')
-    ):
-        # if sqlalchemy is not imported and it looks like they are using SQL
-        # statements, mark it as a medium severity issue
-        if not context.is_module_imported_like("sqlalchemy"):
-            return bandit.Issue(
-                severity=bandit.MEDIUM,
-                confidence=bandit.LOW,
-                text="Possible SQL injection vector through string-based "
-                     "query construction, without SQLAlchemy use."
-            )
-
-        # otherwise, if sqlalchemy is being used, mark it as low severity
-        else:
-            return bandit.Issue(
-                severity=bandit.LOW,
-                confidence=bandit.LOW,
-                text="Possible SQL injection vector through string-based "
-                     "query construction."
-            )
+    val = _evaluate_ast(context.node)
+    if _check_string(val[1]):
+        return bandit.Issue(
+            severity=bandit.MEDIUM,
+            confidence=bandit.MEDIUM if val[0] else bandit.LOW,
+            text="Possible SQL injection vector through string-based "
+                 "query construction."
+        )
diff --git a/examples/sql_statements.py b/examples/sql_statements.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5447270a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/sql_statements.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import sqlalchemy
+
+# bad
+query = "SELECT * FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
+query = "INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('a', 'b', '%s')" % value
+query = "DELETE FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
+query = "UPDATE foo SET value = 'b' WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
+
+# bad
+cur.execute("SELECT * FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier)
+cur.execute("INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('a', 'b', '%s')" % value)
+cur.execute("DELETE FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier)
+cur.execute("UPDATE foo SET value = 'b' WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier)
+
+# good
+cur.execute("SELECT * FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'", identifier)
+cur.execute("INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('a', 'b', '%s')", value)
+cur.execute("DELETE FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'", identifier)
+cur.execute("UPDATE foo SET value = 'b' WHERE id = '%s'", identifier)
+
+# bad
+query = "SELECT " + val + " FROM " + val +" WHERE id = " + val
+
+# bad
+cur.execute("SELECT " + val + " FROM " + val +" WHERE id = " + val)
+
+# real world false positives
+choices=[('server_list', _("Select from active instances"))]
+print("delete from the cache as the first argument")
diff --git a/examples/sql_statements_with_sqlalchemy.py b/examples/sql_statements_with_sqlalchemy.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d0fbb16..00000000
--- a/examples/sql_statements_with_sqlalchemy.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-import sqlalchemy
-
-query = "SELECT * FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
-query = "INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('a', 'b', '%s')" % value
-query = "DELETE FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
-query = "UPDATE foo SET value = 'b' WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
diff --git a/examples/sql_statements_without_sql_alchemy.py b/examples/sql_statements_without_sql_alchemy.py
deleted file mode 100644
index bcc51d07..00000000
--- a/examples/sql_statements_without_sql_alchemy.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-query = "SELECT * FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
-query = "INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('a', 'b', '%s')" % value
-query = "DELETE FROM foo WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
-query = "UPDATE foo SET value = 'b' WHERE id = '%s'" % identifier
diff --git a/tests/test_functional.py b/tests/test_functional.py
index a90fb885..7ef04b2b 100644
--- a/tests/test_functional.py
+++ b/tests/test_functional.py
@@ -249,15 +249,12 @@ class FunctionalTests(unittest.TestCase):
         expect = {'SEVERITY': {'LOW': 5}, 'CONFIDENCE': {'HIGH': 5}}
         self.check_example('skip.py', expect)
 
-    def test_sql_statements_with_sqlalchemy(self):
+    def test_sql_statements(self):
         '''Test for SQL injection through string building.'''
-        expect = {'SEVERITY': {'LOW': 4}, 'CONFIDENCE': {'LOW': 4}}
-        self.check_example('sql_statements_with_sqlalchemy.py', expect)
-
-    def test_sql_statements_without_sql_alchemy(self):
-        '''Test for SQL injection without SQLAlchemy.'''
-        expect = {'SEVERITY': {'MEDIUM': 4}, 'CONFIDENCE': {'LOW': 4}}
-        self.check_example('sql_statements_without_sql_alchemy.py', expect)
+        expect = {
+            'SEVERITY': {'MEDIUM': 10},
+            'CONFIDENCE': {'LOW': 5, 'MEDIUM': 5}}
+        self.check_example('sql_statements.py', expect)
 
     def test_ssl_insecure_version(self):
         '''Test for insecure SSL protocol versions.'''