diff --git a/mysql-test/include/rpl_start_server.inc b/mysql-test/include/rpl_start_server.inc
index c59c7759910..ac8106f141c 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/rpl_start_server.inc
+++ b/mysql-test/include/rpl_start_server.inc
@@ -45,7 +45,15 @@ if ($rpl_server_parameters)
 --source include/rpl_connection.inc
 
 # Write file to make mysql-test-run.pl start up the server again
---exec echo "$_rpl_start_server_command" > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/tmp/mysqld.$rpl_server_number.expect
+--let WRITE_TO_FILE= $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/tmp/mysqld.$rpl_server_number.expect
+--let WRITE_TO_VAR= $_rpl_start_server_command
+perl;
+my $file= $ENV{'WRITE_TO_FILE'};
+my $var= $ENV{'WRITE_TO_VAR'};
+open WRITE_FILE, ">> $file" or die "Error opening $file: $!";
+print WRITE_FILE $var, "\n" or die "Error appending to $file: $!";
+close WRITE_FILE or die "Error closing $file: $!";
+EOF
 
 --source include/rpl_reconnect.inc
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/rpl_stop_server.inc b/mysql-test/include/rpl_stop_server.inc
index e1f8839dd69..a90981d6de8 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/rpl_stop_server.inc
+++ b/mysql-test/include/rpl_stop_server.inc
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ if ($rpl_debug)
 
 # Write file to make mysql-test-run.pl expect the "crash", but don't start
 # it until it's told to
---exec echo "wait" > $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/tmp/mysqld.$rpl_server_number.expect
+--append_file $MYSQLTEST_VARDIR/tmp/mysqld.$rpl_server_number.expect
+wait
+EOF
 
 # Send shutdown to the connected server and give
 # it 10 seconds to die before zapping it