diff --git a/tests/sshserver.pl b/tests/sshserver.pl
index 7d445548ac..8c0d00680b 100755
--- a/tests/sshserver.pl
+++ b/tests/sshserver.pl
@@ -424,14 +424,14 @@ if((! -e pp($hstprvkeyf)) || (! -s pp($hstprvkeyf)) ||
     chmod 0600, pp($cliprvkeyf);
     if(($^O eq 'cygwin' || $^O eq 'msys') && -e "/bin/setfacl") {
         # https://cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/setfacl.html
-        system "/bin/setfacl --remove-all " . pp($hstprvkeyf);
+        system('/bin/setfacl', ('--remove-all', pp($hstprvkeyf)));
     }
     elsif(pathhelp::os_is_win()) {
         # https://ss64.com/nt/icacls.html
         $ENV{'MSYS2_ARG_CONV_EXCL'} = '/reset';
-        system "icacls \"" . pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)) . "\" /reset";
-        system "icacls \"" . pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)) . "\" /grant:r \"$username:(R)\"";
-        system "icacls \"" . pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)) . "\" /inheritance:r";
+        system('icacls', (pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)), '/reset'));
+        system('icacls', (pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)), '/grant:r', "$username:(R)"));
+        system('icacls', (pathhelp::sys_native_abs_path(pp($hstprvkeyf)), '/inheritance:r'));
     }
     # Save md5 and sha256 hashes of public host key
     open(my $rsakeyfile, "<", pp($hstpubkeyf));