diff --git a/nova/utils.py b/nova/utils.py
index 7ddf056ea0..0937522ec9 100644
--- a/nova/utils.py
+++ b/nova/utils.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def fetchfile(url, target):
 def execute(*cmd, **kwargs):
     process_input=kwargs.get('process_input', None)
     addl_env=kwargs.get('addl_env', None)
-    check_exit_code=kwargs.get('check_exit_code', True)
+    check_exit_code=kwargs.get('check_exit_code', 0)
     stdin=kwargs.get('stdin', subprocess.PIPE)
     stdout=kwargs.get('stdout', subprocess.PIPE)
     stderr=kwargs.get('stderr', subprocess.PIPE)
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def execute(*cmd, **kwargs):
     obj.stdin.close()
     if obj.returncode:
         LOG.debug(_("Result was %s") % obj.returncode)
-        if check_exit_code and obj.returncode != 0:
+        if check_exit_code is not None and obj.returncode != check_exit_code:
             (stdout, stderr) = result
             raise ProcessExecutionError(exit_code=obj.returncode,
                                         stdout=stdout,
diff --git a/nova/virt/disk.py b/nova/virt/disk.py
index 203517275b..a54cda003c 100644
--- a/nova/virt/disk.py
+++ b/nova/virt/disk.py
@@ -175,8 +175,8 @@ def _inject_key_into_fs(key, fs):
     utils.execute('sudo', 'chown', 'root', sshdir)
     utils.execute('sudo', 'chmod', '700', sshdir)
     keyfile = os.path.join(sshdir, 'authorized_keys')
-    # TODO:EWINDISCH: not sure about the following /w execv patch
-    utils.execute('sudo', 'tee', '-a', keyfile, '\n' + key.strip() + '\n')
+    utils.execute('sudo', 'tee', '-a', keyfile,
+            process_input='\n' + key.strip() + '\n')
 
 
 def _inject_net_into_fs(net, fs):
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt_conn.py b/nova/virt/libvirt_conn.py
index 76f31f91a4..6b555ecbb8 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt_conn.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt_conn.py
@@ -485,13 +485,10 @@ class LibvirtConnection(object):
                 port = random.randint(int(start_port), int(end_port))
                 # netcat will exit with 0 only if the port is in use,
                 # so a nonzero return value implies it is unused
-
-                # TODO(ewindisch): broken /w execvp patch.
-                # subprocess lets us do this, but utils.execute
-                # abstracts it away from us
-                cmd = 'netcat', '0.0.0.0', port, '-w', '1', '</dev/null || echo free' % (port)
-                stdout, stderr = utils.execute(cmd)
-                if stdout.strip() == 'free':
+                cmd = 'netcat', '0.0.0.0', port, '-w', '1'
+                try:
+                    stdout, stderr = utils.execute(*cmd, process_input='')
+                except ProcessExecutionError:
                     return port
             raise Exception(_('Unable to find an open port'))