diff --git a/cmd/dump/dump.go b/cmd/dump/dump.go
index 2ffe8cc8..4d82499b 100644
--- a/cmd/dump/dump.go
+++ b/cmd/dump/dump.go
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	err = t.Safe(func() error {
 		return conf.Client.Exec(
 			conf.Pod,
-			buildCommand(conf.Grammar, conf),
+			buildCommand(conf.Grammar, conf).String(),
 			t.In,
 			t.Out,
 			os.Stderr,
@@ -208,12 +208,12 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func buildCommand(db config.Databaser, conf config.Dump) []string {
+func buildCommand(db config.Databaser, conf config.Dump) *command.Builder {
 	cmd := db.DumpCommand(conf)
 	if conf.OutputFormat != sqlformat.Custom {
 		cmd.Push(command.Raw("|"), "gzip", "--force")
 	}
 	// base64 is required since TTYs use CRLF
 	cmd.Push(command.Raw("|"), "base64", "--wrap=0")
-	return []string{"sh", "-c", cmd.String()}
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/exec/exec.go b/cmd/exec/exec.go
index fde6021c..6a34e34e 100644
--- a/cmd/exec/exec.go
+++ b/cmd/exec/exec.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	return t.Safe(func() error {
 		return conf.Client.Exec(
 			conf.Pod,
-			buildCommand(conf.Grammar, conf, args),
+			buildCommand(conf.Grammar, conf, args).String(),
 			t.In,
 			t.Out,
 			os.Stderr,
@@ -52,15 +52,14 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	})
 }
 
-func buildCommand(db config.Databaser, conf config.Exec, args []string) []string {
-	var cmd *command.Builder
+func buildCommand(db config.Databaser, conf config.Exec, args []string) *command.Builder {
 	if len(args) == 0 {
-		cmd = db.ExecCommand(conf)
-	} else {
-		cmd = command.NewBuilder("exec")
-		for _, arg := range args {
-			cmd.Push(arg)
-		}
+		return db.ExecCommand(conf)
 	}
-	return []string{"sh", "-c", cmd.String()}
+
+	cmd := command.NewBuilder("exec")
+	for _, arg := range args {
+		cmd.Push(arg)
+	}
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/restore/restore.go b/cmd/restore/restore.go
index e5a0132d..44385495 100644
--- a/cmd/restore/restore.go
+++ b/cmd/restore/restore.go
@@ -170,10 +170,9 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func buildCommand(conf config.Restore, inputFormat sqlformat.Format) []string {
-	cmd := conf.Grammar.RestoreCommand(conf, inputFormat)
-	cmd.Unshift("gunzip", "--force", command.Raw("|"))
-	return []string{"sh", "-c", cmd.String()}
+func buildCommand(conf config.Restore, inputFormat sqlformat.Format) *command.Builder {
+	return conf.Grammar.RestoreCommand(conf, inputFormat).
+		Unshift("gunzip", "--force", command.Raw("|"))
 }
 
 func gzipCopy(w io.Writer, r io.Reader) (err error) {
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ func runInDatabasePod(r *io.PipeReader, ch chan error, inputFormat sqlformat.For
 		_ = pr.Close()
 	}(r)
 
-	err = conf.Client.Exec(conf.Pod, buildCommand(conf, inputFormat), r, os.Stdout, os.Stderr, false, nil)
+	err = conf.Client.Exec(conf.Pod, buildCommand(conf, inputFormat).String(), r, os.Stdout, os.Stderr, false, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		_ = r.CloseWithError(err)
 		ch <- err
diff --git a/internal/config/flags/database.go b/internal/config/flags/database.go
index 58430ca1..c1523a50 100644
--- a/internal/config/flags/database.go
+++ b/internal/config/flags/database.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func queryInDatabase(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, conf config.Exec, query
 	r := strings.NewReader(query)
 	var buf strings.Builder
 	sqlCmd := conf.Grammar.ExecCommand(conf)
-	err := conf.Client.Exec(conf.Pod, []string{"sh", "-c", sqlCmd.String()}, r, &buf, os.Stderr, false, nil)
+	err := conf.Client.Exec(conf.Pod, sqlCmd.String(), r, &buf, os.Stderr, false, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
 	}
diff --git a/internal/database/grammar/postgres.go b/internal/database/grammar/postgres.go
index 70a17929..bd5d008d 100644
--- a/internal/database/grammar/postgres.go
+++ b/internal/database/grammar/postgres.go
@@ -73,18 +73,15 @@ func (Postgres) FilterPods(client kubernetes.KubeClient, pods []v1.Pod) ([]v1.Po
 	if len(pods) > 0 && pods[0].Labels["app.kubernetes.io/name"] == "postgresql-ha" {
 		// HA chart. Need to detect primary.
 		log.Info("querying for primary instance")
-		cmd := []string{
-			"sh", "-c",
-			command.NewBuilder(
-				command.NewEnv("DISABLE_WELCOME_MESSAGE", "true"),
-				"/opt/bitnami/scripts/postgresql-repmgr/entrypoint.sh",
-				"repmgr", "--config-file=/opt/bitnami/repmgr/conf/repmgr.conf",
-				"service", "status", "--csv",
-			).String(),
-		}
+		cmd := command.NewBuilder(
+			command.NewEnv("DISABLE_WELCOME_MESSAGE", "true"),
+			"/opt/bitnami/scripts/postgresql-repmgr/entrypoint.sh",
+			"repmgr", "--config-file=/opt/bitnami/repmgr/conf/repmgr.conf",
+			"service", "status", "--csv",
+		)
 
 		var buf strings.Builder
-		err := client.Exec(pods[0], cmd, strings.NewReader(""), &buf, os.Stderr, false, nil)
+		err := client.Exec(pods[0], cmd.String(), strings.NewReader(""), &buf, os.Stderr, false, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return pods, err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/kubernetes/pod.go b/internal/kubernetes/pod.go
index 5139d572..2c0ef36d 100644
--- a/internal/kubernetes/pod.go
+++ b/internal/kubernetes/pod.go
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ func (client KubeClient) GetNamespacedPods() (*v1.PodList, error) {
 	return pods, nil
 }
 
-func (client KubeClient) Exec(pod v1.Pod, command []string, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer, tty bool, terminalSizeQueue remotecommand.TerminalSizeQueue) error {
+func (client KubeClient) Exec(pod v1.Pod, cmd string, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer, tty bool, terminalSizeQueue remotecommand.TerminalSizeQueue) error {
 	req := client.ClientSet.CoreV1().RESTClient().Post().
 		Resource("pods").
 		Namespace(client.Namespace).
 		Name(pod.Name).
 		SubResource("exec").
 		VersionedParams(&v1.PodExecOptions{
-			Command: command,
+			Command: []string{"sh", "-c", cmd},
 			Stdin:   true,
 			Stdout:  true,
 			Stderr:  true,