diff --git a/packages/perseus-cli/Cargo.toml b/packages/perseus-cli/Cargo.toml
index ae7dc58894..a3c1046eef 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/packages/perseus-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ path = "tests/lib.rs"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [dependencies]
+shell-words = "1"
 include_dir = "0.7"
 thiserror = "1"
 fmterr = "0.1"
diff --git a/packages/perseus-cli/src/cmd.rs b/packages/perseus-cli/src/cmd.rs
index 8f3e3fe4c5..4aeaba1d4b 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-cli/src/cmd.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-cli/src/cmd.rs
@@ -23,20 +23,15 @@ pub fn run_cmd(
     pre_dump: impl Fn(),
     full_logging: bool,
 ) -> Result<(String, String, i32), ExecutionError> {
-    // We run the command in a shell so that NPM/Yarn binaries can be recognized
-    // (see #5)
-    #[cfg(unix)]
-    let shell_exec = "sh";
-    #[cfg(windows)]
-    let shell_exec = "powershell";
-    #[cfg(unix)]
-    let shell_param = "-c";
-    #[cfg(windows)]
-    let shell_param = "-command";
+    let cmd_parts = shell_words::split(&cmd).map_err(|err| ExecutionError::CmdParseFailed {
+        cmd: cmd.clone(),
+        source: err,
+    })?;
+    let cmd_exec = &cmd_parts[0];
 
     // This will NOT pipe output/errors to the console
-    let output = Command::new(shell_exec)
-        .args([shell_param, &cmd])
+    let output = Command::new(cmd_exec)
+        .args(&cmd_parts[1..])
         .envs(envs)
         .current_dir(dir)
         // A pipe is set for stdio
diff --git a/packages/perseus-cli/src/errors.rs b/packages/perseus-cli/src/errors.rs
index 37b8b042f4..152fcb020a 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-cli/src/errors.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-cli/src/errors.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ pub enum Error {
 /// `build`/`serve` (export errors are separate).
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum ExecutionError {
+    #[error("failed to parse command for execution")]
+    CmdParseFailed {
+        cmd: String,
+        // Right now, this can only be an unmatched quote error
+        #[source]
+        source: shell_words::ParseError,
+    },
     #[error("couldn't execute command '{cmd}' (this doesn't mean it threw an error, it means it couldn't be run at all)")]
     CmdExecFailed {
         cmd: String,
diff --git a/packages/perseus-cli/src/install.rs b/packages/perseus-cli/src/install.rs
index 786846d775..6107fb073c 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-cli/src/install.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-cli/src/install.rs
@@ -530,19 +530,8 @@ impl Tool {
     /// error, and hence it should only be called after all other options
     /// have been exhausted.
     fn get_path_to_preinstalled(&self) -> Result<String, InstallError> {
-        #[cfg(unix)]
-        let shell_exec = "sh";
-        #[cfg(windows)]
-        let shell_exec = "powershell";
-        #[cfg(unix)]
-        let shell_param = "-c";
-        #[cfg(windows)]
-        let shell_param = "-command";
-
-        let check_cmd = format!("{} --version", self.name); // Not exactly bulletproof, but it works!
-        let res = Command::new(shell_exec)
-            .args([shell_param, &check_cmd])
-            .output();
+        // Not exactly bulletproof, but it works!
+        let res = Command::new(&self.name).arg("--version").output();
         if let Err(err) = res {
             // Unlike `wasm-pack`, we don't try to install with `cargo install`, because
             // that's a little pointless to me (the user will still have to get
diff --git a/packages/perseus-cli/src/prepare.rs b/packages/perseus-cli/src/prepare.rs
index a561d60f93..33da2d3bb8 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-cli/src/prepare.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-cli/src/prepare.rs
@@ -13,35 +13,9 @@ use std::process::Command;
 /// Checks if the user has `cargo` installed, and tries to install the
 /// `wasm32-unknown-unknown` target with `rustup` if it's available.
 pub fn check_env(global_opts: &Opts) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    #[cfg(unix)]
-    let shell_exec = "sh";
-    #[cfg(windows)]
-    let shell_exec = "powershell";
-    #[cfg(unix)]
-    let shell_param = "-c";
-    #[cfg(windows)]
-    let shell_param = "-command";
-
-    // Check for the shell before anything else (#314)
-    let shell_res = Command::new(shell_exec)
-        .arg("--version")
-        .output()
-        .map_err(|err| Error::ShellNotPresent { source: err })?;
-    let exit_code = match shell_res.status.code() {
-        Some(exit_code) => exit_code,
-        None if shell_res.status.success() => 0,
-        None => 1,
-    };
-    if exit_code != 0 {
-        return Err(Error::ShellNotPresent {
-            source: std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "non-zero exit code"),
-        });
-    }
-
     // Check for `cargo`
-    let cargo_cmd = global_opts.cargo_engine_path.to_string() + " --version";
-    let cargo_res = Command::new(shell_exec)
-        .args([shell_param, &cargo_cmd])
+    let cargo_res = Command::new(global_opts.cargo_engine_path.to_string())
+        .arg("--version")
         .output()
         .map_err(|err| Error::CargoNotPresent { source: err })?;
     let exit_code = match cargo_res.status.code() {
@@ -56,9 +30,8 @@ pub fn check_env(global_opts: &Opts) -> Result<(), Error> {
     }
     // If the user has `rustup`, make sure they have `wasm32-unknown-unknown`
     // installed If they don'aren't using `rustup`, we won't worry about this
-    let rustup_cmd = global_opts.rustup_path.to_string() + " target list";
-    let rustup_res = Command::new(shell_exec)
-        .args([shell_param, &rustup_cmd])
+    let rustup_res = Command::new(global_opts.rustup_path.to_string())
+        .args(["target", "list"])
         .output();
     if let Ok(rustup_res) = rustup_res {
         let exit_code = match rustup_res.status.code() {