diff --git a/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby.py b/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby.py
index cff11188d6bd..686f44ee6aa0 100644
--- a/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby.py
+++ b/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 import os
-import pipes
+import shlex
 from os.path import join, exists, basename
 import re
 import shutil
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def clean(self, forBuild=False):
 
     def contents(self, result):
         classpath_deps = [dep for dep in self.subject.buildDependencies if isinstance(dep, mx.ClasspathDependency)]
-        jvm_args = [pipes.quote(arg) for arg in mx.get_runtime_jvm_args(classpath_deps)]
+        jvm_args = [shlex.quote(arg) for arg in mx.get_runtime_jvm_args(classpath_deps)]
 
         debug_args = mx.java_debug_args()
         jvm_args.extend(debug_args)
diff --git a/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby_benchmark.py b/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby_benchmark.py
index a1462a98c041..dc53ac530d61 100644
--- a/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby_benchmark.py
+++ b/mx.truffleruby/mx_truffleruby_benchmark.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 import os
 import json
-import pipes
+import shlex
 import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def __init__(self, args):
 
     def __enter__(self):
         if mx._opts.verbose:
-            mx.log(' '.join(['(background)'] + [pipes.quote(arg) for arg in self.args]))
+            mx.log(' '.join(['(background)'] + [shlex.quote(arg) for arg in self.args]))
         self.process = subprocess.Popen(self.args, start_new_session=True)
         mx._addSubprocess(self.process, self.args)