diff --git a/test/test_convert.py b/test/test_convert.py
index 237cafdeb..69a23afd7 100644
--- a/test/test_convert.py
+++ b/test/test_convert.py
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ from beets.mediafile import MediaFile
 from beets import util
 
 
+def shell_quote(text):
+    if sys.version_info[0] < 3:
+        import pipes
+        return pipes.quote(text)
+    else:
+        import shlex
+        return shlex.quote(text)
+
+
 class TestHelper(helper.TestHelper):
 
     def tagged_copy_cmd(self, tag):
@@ -40,7 +49,7 @@ class TestHelper(helper.TestHelper):
 
         # A Python script that copies the file and appends a tag.
         stub = os.path.join(_common.RSRC, b'convert_stub.py').decode('utf-8')
-        return u"'{}' '{}' $source $dest {}".format(sys.executable, stub, tag)
+        return u"{} {} $source $dest {}".format(shell_quote(sys.executable), shell_quote(stub), tag)
 
     def assertFileTag(self, path, tag):  # noqa
         """Assert that the path is a file and the files content ends with `tag`.