diff --git a/ejabberdctl.template b/ejabberdctl.template
index 4704c85c4..04ede3471 100755
--- a/ejabberdctl.template
+++ b/ejabberdctl.template
@@ -444,11 +444,11 @@ check_start()
 # cluster setup
 join_cluster()
 {
-    $EJABBERD_BIN_PATH/joincluster $*
+    $EXEC_CMD "$EJABBERD_BIN_PATH/joincluster $*"
 }
 leave_cluster()
 {
-    $EJABBERD_BIN_PATH/leavecluster $*
+    $EXEC_CMD "$EJABBERD_BIN_PATH/leavecluster $*"
 }
 
 # allow sync calls
diff --git a/tools/joincluster b/tools/joincluster
index 7385e1697..7db639930 100755
--- a/tools/joincluster
+++ b/tools/joincluster
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ start() ->
 EOF
 
 $ERLC -o $PA $CLUSTERSETUP_ERL
-sh -c "$ERL $NAME $ERLANG_NODE -pa $PA $KERNEL_OPTS -mnesia extra_db_nodes \"['$REMOTE']\" dir \"\\\"$SPOOL_DIR\\\"\" -s mnesia -s $CLUSTERSETUP start"
+$ERL $NAME $ERLANG_NODE -pa $PA $KERNEL_OPTS -mnesia extra_db_nodes "['$REMOTE']" dir "\"$SPOOL_DIR\"" -s mnesia -s $CLUSTERSETUP start
 cd -
 rm -Rf $PA
 
diff --git a/tools/leavecluster b/tools/leavecluster
index 3e42c700f..736020446 100755
--- a/tools/leavecluster
+++ b/tools/leavecluster
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ start() ->
 EOF
 
 $ERLC -o $PA $CLUSTERSETUP_ERL
-sh -c "$ERL $NAME $ERLANG_NODE -pa $PA $KERNEL_OPTS -mnesia dir \"\\\"$SPOOL_DIR\\\"\" -s mnesia -s $CLUSTERSETUP start"
+$ERL $NAME $ERLANG_NODE -pa $PA $KERNEL_OPTS -mnesia dir "\"$SPOOL_DIR\"" -s mnesia -s $CLUSTERSETUP start
 cd -
 rm -Rf $PA