diff --git a/src/service_runner.cpp b/src/service_runner.cpp
index f6d8573..88611ff 100644
--- a/src/service_runner.cpp
+++ b/src/service_runner.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ bool service_runner::install(bool silent) {
         
     // Create service directory
     std::string remote_service_path = remotepath::service(mServer, mService);
-    if (!execute_command(mServerEnv.get_SSH_INFO(), sCommand({"mkdir", "-p", remote_service_path}), cMode::Silent))
+    if (!execute_command(mServerEnv.get_SSH_INFO(), sCommand({"mkdir", "-p", quote(remote_service_path)}), cMode::Silent))
     {
         std::cerr << "Failed to create service directory " << remote_service_path << std::endl;
         return false;
@@ -71,8 +70,8 @@ bool service_runner::install(bool silent) {
     // Copy template files
     {
         std::cout << "Copying: [LOCAL] " << tinfo.local_template_path() << std::endl << std::string(8,' ')<<"[REMOTE] " << remotepath::service_template(mServer, mService) << "/" << std::endl;
-        std::vector<std::string> rsync_cmd = {"rsync", "--delete", "-zrpc", "-e", "ssh","-p", mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT(), 
-                            tinfo.local_template_path().string()+"/", 
+        std::vector<std::string> rsync_cmd = {"rsync", "--delete", "-zrpc", "-e", quote("ssh -p " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT()), 
+                            quote(tinfo.local_template_path().string()+"/"), 
                             mServerEnv.get_SSH_USER() + "@" + mServerEnv.get_SSH_HOST() + ":" + quote(remotepath::service_template(mServer, mService)+"/")
                             };
         if (!execute_command(rsync_cmd, silent ? cMode::Silent : cMode::Defaults))
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ bool service_runner::install(bool silent) {
             return false;
         }
         std::cout << "Copying: [LOCAL] " << local_service_path << std::endl <<std::string(8,' ')<<"[REMOTE] " << remotepath::service_config(mServer,mService) << std::endl; 
-        std::vector<std::string> rsync_cmd = {"rsync", "--delete", "-zrpc", "-e", "ssh", "-p", mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT(), 
+        std::vector<std::string> rsync_cmd = {"rsync", "--delete", "-zrpc", "-e", quote("ssh -p " + mServerEnv.get_SSH_PORT()), 
                             quote(local_service_path + "/"), 
                             mServerEnv.get_SSH_USER() + "@" + mServerEnv.get_SSH_HOST() + ":" + quote(remotepath::service_config(mServer,mService) + "/")
                             };
diff --git a/src/utils/execute.cpp b/src/utils/execute.cpp
index 0154269..3069269 100644
--- a/src/utils/execute.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/execute.cpp
@@ -98,32 +98,55 @@ bool execute_command(const sSSHInfo * ssh_info, const sCommand command, cMode mo
 {
     if (command.get_command_to_run().empty())
         return false;
-    
+
     std::vector<std::string> commandvec;
-
-    if (ssh_info)
-    {
-        std::vector<std::string> ssh_command = {"/usr/bin/ssh", "-p", ssh_info->port, "-tt", ssh_info->user + "@" + ssh_info->host};
-        commandvec.insert(commandvec.end(), ssh_command.begin(), ssh_command.end());
+    
+    // Construct the shell command with proper environment variables and directory
+    std::string shell_command;
+    
+    // Add working directory if provided
+    if (!command.get_directory_to_run_in().empty()) {
+        shell_command += "cd " + quote(command.get_directory_to_run_in()) + " && ";
     }
-
-    commandvec.push_back("bash");
-    commandvec.push_back("-c");
-
-    std::string shell_command = "";
-    for (auto & x : command.get_command_to_run()) {
-        shell_command += x + " ";
+    
+    // Add environment variables if provided
+    for (const auto& env_var : command.get_env_vars()) {
+        shell_command += env_var.first + "=" + quote(env_var.second) + " ";
     }
-    shell_command = shell_command.substr(0, shell_command.size() - 1);
-    commandvec.push_back(shell_command);
-
-
+    
+    // Add the command arguments properly joined
+    const auto& args = command.get_command_to_run();
+    std::ostringstream cmd_stream;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < args.size(); ++i) {
+        if (i > 0) cmd_stream << " ";
+        cmd_stream << args[i];
+    }
+    shell_command += cmd_stream.str();
+    
+    if (ssh_info) {
+        // Use bash -c for SSH to ensure proper command execution
+        commandvec = {
+            "/usr/bin/ssh", 
+            "-p", ssh_info->port, 
+            (hasFlag(mode, cMode::CaptureOutput) ? "" : "-tt"), 
+            ssh_info->user + "@" + ssh_info->host,
+            "bash", "-c", halfquote(shell_command)
+        };
+    } else {
+        // Local execution
+        commandvec = {"bash", "-c", halfquote(shell_command)};
+    }
+    
+    // Remove any empty strings
+    commandvec.erase(
+        std::remove_if(commandvec.begin(), commandvec.end(), 
+                      [](const std::string& s) { return s.empty(); }),
+        commandvec.end());
+    
     if (hasFlag(mode, cMode::CaptureOutput)) {
         ASSERT(output, "Capture output mode requires an output string to be provided");
         return __execute_command(commandvec, output);
-    }
-    else
-    {
+    } else {
         return __execute_command(commandvec, nullptr);
     }
 }