diff --git a/app/models/miq_worker.rb b/app/models/miq_worker.rb
index 88c6841c27b..4bb16e813d8 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_worker.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_worker.rb
@@ -359,14 +359,16 @@ def start_runner_via_fork
     pid
   end
 
-  def self.build_command_line(options)
-    require 'awesome_spawn'
-    raise ArgumentError, "expected options hash, received: #{options.class}" unless options.kind_of?(Hash)
-    raise ArgumentError, "missing :guid options key" unless options.key?(:guid)
+  def self.build_command_line(guid, ems_id = nil)
+    raise ArgumentError, "No guid provided" unless guid
 
+    require 'awesome_spawn'
     cmd = "#{Gem.ruby} #{runner_script}"
     cmd = "nice #{nice_increment} #{cmd}" if ENV["APPLIANCE"]
-    "#{AwesomeSpawn::CommandLineBuilder.new.build(cmd, options.merge(:heartbeat => nil))} #{name}"
+
+    options = {:guid => guid, :heartbeat => nil}
+    options[:ems_id] = ems_id if ems_id
+    "#{AwesomeSpawn::CommandLineBuilder.new.build(cmd, options)} #{name}"
   end
 
   def self.runner_script
@@ -376,7 +378,7 @@ def self.runner_script
   end
 
   def command_line
-    self.class.build_command_line(worker_options)
+    self.class.build_command_line(*worker_options.values_at(:guid, :ems_id))
   end
 
   def start_runner_via_spawn
diff --git a/spec/models/miq_worker_spec.rb b/spec/models/miq_worker_spec.rb
index 6735d8a9138..a4441cbb85c 100644
--- a/spec/models/miq_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/miq_worker_spec.rb
@@ -346,11 +346,6 @@ def check_has_required_role(worker_role_names, expected_result)
     end
 
     context "#command_line" do
-      it "with nil worker_options" do
-        allow(@worker).to receive(:worker_options).and_return(nil)
-        expect { @worker.command_line }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
-      end
-
       it "without guid in worker_options" do
         allow(@worker).to receive(:worker_options).and_return({})
         expect { @worker.command_line }.to raise_error(ArgumentError)
@@ -369,7 +364,10 @@ def check_has_required_role(worker_role_names, expected_result)
           ENV['APPLIANCE'] = 'true'
           cmd = @worker.command_line
           expect(cmd).to start_with("nice +10")
-          expect(cmd).to end_with("--ems-id 1234 --guid #{@worker.guid} --heartbeat MiqWorker")
+          expect(cmd).to include("--ems-id 1234")
+          expect(cmd).to include("--guid #{@worker.guid}")
+          expect(cmd).to include("--heartbeat")
+          expect(cmd).to end_with("MiqWorker")
         ensure
           # ENV['x'] = nil deletes the key because ENV accepts only string values
           ENV['APPLIANCE'] = old_env