diff --git a/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php b/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
index d24209a42..ff931158c 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class Perforce
     public function connectClient(): void
     {
         $p4CreateClientCommand = $this->generateP4Command(
-            'client -i < ' . str_replace(" ", "\\ ", $this->getP4ClientSpec())
+            'client -i < ' . ProcessExecutor::escape($this->getP4ClientSpec())
         );
         $this->executeCommand($p4CreateClientCommand);
     }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php
index 6fd37e559..414cca112 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ class PerforceTest extends TestCase
     public function testConnectClient(): void
     {
         $this->processExecutor->expects(
-            ['p4 -u user -c composer_perforce_TEST_depot -p port client -i < path/composer_perforce_TEST_depot.p4.spec'],
+            ['p4 -u user -c composer_perforce_TEST_depot -p port client -i < '.ProcessExecutor::escape('path/composer_perforce_TEST_depot.p4.spec')],
             true
         );