diff --git a/docs/fdroid.texi b/docs/fdroid.texi
index 73931a8a..71d2468b 100644
--- a/docs/fdroid.texi
+++ b/docs/fdroid.texi
@@ -789,6 +789,8 @@ insert literal commas, or as the last character on a line to join that
 line with the next. It has no special meaning in other contexts; in
 particular, literal backslashes should not be escaped.
 
+The command runs using bash.
+
 Note that nothing should be build during this prebuild phase - scanning
 of the code and building of the source tarball, for example, take place
 after this. For custom actions that actually build things, use 'build'
diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index 43142a64..82d2a74f 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ def prepare_source(vcs, app, build, build_dir, srclib_dir, extlib_dir, sdk_path,
         init = init.replace('$$NDK$$', ndk_path)
         init = init.replace('$$MVN$$', mvn3)
         if verbose: print "Doing init: exec '%s' in '%s'"%(init,root_dir)
-        if subprocess.call(init, cwd=root_dir, shell=True) != 0:
+        if subprocess.call(['bash', '-c', init], cwd=root_dir) != 0:
             raise BuildException("Error running init command")
 
     # Generate (or update) the ant build file, build.xml...
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ def prepare_source(vcs, app, build, build_dir, srclib_dir, extlib_dir, sdk_path,
         prebuild = prebuild.replace('$$SDK$$', sdk_path)
         prebuild = prebuild.replace('$$NDK$$', ndk_path)
         prebuild = prebuild.replace('$$MVN3$$', mvn3)
-        p = subprocess.Popen(prebuild, cwd=root_dir, shell=True,
+        p = subprocess.Popen(['bash', '-c', prebuild], cwd=root_dir,
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
         out, err = p.communicate()
         if p.returncode != 0: