diff --git a/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php b/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
index d8ee9436b..41b76c3b5 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Util/Perforce.php
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ class Perforce
     public function connectClient()
     {
         $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 d8743f3d7..8d78eb425 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Util/PerforceTest.php
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ class PerforceTest extends TestCase
 
     public function testConnectClient()
     {
-        $expectedCommand = 'p4 -u user -c composer_perforce_TEST_depot -p port client -i < path/composer_perforce_TEST_depot.p4.spec';
+        $expectedCommand = 'p4 -u user -c composer_perforce_TEST_depot -p port client -i < '.ProcessExecutor::escape('path/composer_perforce_TEST_depot.p4.spec');
         $this->processExecutor->expects($this->at(0))
             ->method('execute')
             ->with($this->equalTo($expectedCommand), $this->equalTo(null))