diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/backends/git/repository.py
@@ -125,10 +125,11 @@ class GitRepository(BaseRepository):
         cmd = [_git_path] + _copts + cmd
         if _str_cmd:
             cmd = ' '.join(cmd)
+
         try:
             _opts = dict(
                 env=gitenv,
-                shell=False,
+                shell=True,
             )
             _opts.update(opts)
             p = subprocessio.SubprocessIOChunker(cmd, **_opts)
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/subprocessio.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/subprocessio.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/subprocessio.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/subprocessio.py
@@ -342,10 +342,10 @@ class SubprocessIOChunker(object):
             input_streamer.start()
             inputstream = input_streamer.output
 
+        _shell = kwargs.get('shell', True)
         if isinstance(cmd, (list, tuple)):
             cmd = ' '.join(cmd)
 
-        _shell = kwargs.get('shell') or True
         kwargs['shell'] = _shell
         _p = subprocess.Popen(cmd,
             bufsize=-1,
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ class SubprocessIOChunker(object):
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
             **kwargs
-            )
+        )
 
         bg_out = BufferedGenerator(_p.stdout, buffer_size, chunk_size, starting_values)
         bg_err = BufferedGenerator(_p.stderr, 16000, 1, bottomless=True)