diff --git a/nodes/core/core/75-exec.js b/nodes/core/core/75-exec.js
index 8205edfef..8bfc16fcd 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/75-exec.js
+++ b/nodes/core/core/75-exec.js
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                 var arg = node.cmd;
                 if ((node.addpay === true) && msg.hasOwnProperty("payload")) { arg += " "+msg.payload; }
                 if (node.append.trim() !== "") { arg += " "+node.append; }
-                // slice whole line by spaces (trying to honour quotes);
-                arg = arg.match(/(?:[^\s"]+|"[^"]*")+/g);
+                // slice whole line by spaces and removes any quotes since spawn can't handle them
+                arg = arg.match(/(?:[^\s"]+|"[^"]*")+/g).map((a) => {
+                  if (/^".*"$/.test(a)) { return a.slice(1,-1)} else {return a};
+                });
                 var cmd = arg.shift();
-                if (/^".*"$/.test(cmd)) { cmd = cmd.slice(1,-1); }
                 /* istanbul ignore else  */
                 if (RED.settings.verbose) { node.log(cmd+" ["+arg+"]"); }
                 child = spawn(cmd,arg);