diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index a671d64504..e0cb1ef75f 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
     The following options are used by the post processors:
     prefer_ffmpeg:     If True, use ffmpeg instead of avconv if both are available,
                        otherwise prefer avconv.
+    exec_cmd:          Arbitrary command to run after downloading
     """
 
     params = None
diff --git a/youtube_dl/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
index 7cf5de43f0..b156950536 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
@@ -552,8 +552,9 @@ def _hide_login_info(opts):
         help='Prefer avconv over ffmpeg for running the postprocessors (default)')
     postproc.add_option('--prefer-ffmpeg', action='store_true', dest='prefer_ffmpeg',
         help='Prefer ffmpeg over avconv for running the postprocessors')
-    postproc.add_option('--exec', metavar='', action='store', dest='execstring',
-        help='Execute a command on the file after downloading, similar to find\'s -exec syntax. Must be enclosed in quotes. Example: --exec \'adb push {} /sdcard/Music/ && rm {}\'' )
+    postproc.add_option(
+        '--exec', metavar='CMD', dest='exec_cmd',
+        help='Execute a command on the file after downloading, similar to find\'s -exec syntax. Example: --exec \'adb push {} /sdcard/Music/ && rm {}\'' )
 
     parser.add_option_group(general)
     parser.add_option_group(selection)
@@ -834,7 +835,7 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
         'default_search': opts.default_search,
         'youtube_include_dash_manifest': opts.youtube_include_dash_manifest,
         'encoding': opts.encoding,
-        'execstring': opts.execstring,
+        'exec_cmd': opts.exec_cmd,
     }
 
     with YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
@@ -861,8 +862,9 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
 
         # Please keep ExecAfterDownload towards the bottom as it allows the user to modify the final file in any way.
         # So if the user is able to remove the file before your postprocessor runs it might cause a few problems.
-        if opts.execstring:
-            ydl.add_post_processor(ExecAfterDownloadPP(verboseOutput=opts.verbose,commandString=opts.execstring))
+        if opts.exec_cmd:
+            ydl.add_post_processor(ExecAfterDownloadPP(
+                verboseOutput=opts.verbose, exec_cmd=opts.exec_cmd))
 
         # Update version
         if opts.update_self:
diff --git a/youtube_dl/postprocessor/execafterdownload.py b/youtube_dl/postprocessor/execafterdownload.py
index e6f3cdfd22..08419a3d4b 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/postprocessor/execafterdownload.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/postprocessor/execafterdownload.py
@@ -1,39 +1,31 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
-from .common import PostProcessor
-from ..utils import PostProcessingError
+
 import subprocess
-import shlex
+
+from .common import PostProcessor
+from ..utils import (
+    shlex_quote,
+    PostProcessingError,
+)
 
 
 class ExecAfterDownloadPP(PostProcessor):
-    def __init__(self, downloader=None, verboseOutput=None, commandString=None):
+    def __init__(self, downloader=None, verboseOutput=None, exec_cmd=None):
         self.verboseOutput = verboseOutput
-        self.commandString = commandString
+        self.exec_cmd = exec_cmd
 
     def run(self, information):
-        self.targetFile = information['filepath'].replace('\'', '\'\\\'\'')  # Replace single quotes with '\''
-        self.commandList = shlex.split(self.commandString)
-        self.commandString = ''
+        cmd = self.exec_cmd
+        if not '{}' in cmd:
+            cmd += ' {}'
 
-        # Replace all instances of '{}' with the file name and convert argument list to single string.
-        for index, arg in enumerate(self.commandList):
-            if(arg == '{}'):
-                self.commandString += '\'' + self.targetFile + '\' '
-            else:
-                self.commandString += arg + ' '
+        cmd = cmd.replace('{}', shlex_quote(information['filepath']))
 
-        if self.targetFile not in self.commandString:  # Assume user wants the file appended to the end of the command if no {}'s were given.
-            self.commandString += '\'' + self.targetFile + '\''
-
-        print("[exec] Executing command: " + self.commandString)
-        self.retCode = subprocess.call(self.commandString, shell=True)
-        if(self.retCode < 0):
-            print("[exec] WARNING: Command exited with a negative return code, the process was killed externally. Your command may not of completed succesfully!")
-        elif(self.verboseOutput):
-            print("[exec] Command exited with return code: " + str(self.retCode))
+        self._downloader.to_screen("[exec] Executing command: %s" % cmd)
+        retCode = subprocess.call(cmd, shell=True)
+        if retCode != 0:
+            raise PostProcessingError(
+                'Command returned error code %d' % retCode)
 
         return None, information  # by default, keep file and do nothing
 
-
-class PostProcessingExecError(PostProcessingError):
-    pass
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 8095400d03..2b05fd7b7f 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -192,6 +192,13 @@ def compat_parse_qs(qs, keep_blank_values=False, strict_parsing=False,
 except ImportError:  # Python 2.6
     from xml.parsers.expat import ExpatError as compat_xml_parse_error
 
+try:
+    from shlex import quote as shlex_quote
+except ImportError:  # Python < 3.3
+    def shlex_quote(s):
+        return "'" + s.replace("'", "'\"'\"'") + "'"
+
+
 def compat_ord(c):
     if type(c) is int: return c
     else: return ord(c)