diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/zun/container.py b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/zun/container.py
index 8a2628720c..9dd8842e11 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/zun/container.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/zun/container.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import copy
+import shlex
 
 from heat.common import exception
 from heat.common.i18n import _
@@ -316,6 +317,9 @@ class Container(resource.Resource,
         networks = args.pop(self.NETWORKS, None)
         if networks:
             args['nets'] = self._build_nets(networks)
+        command = args.pop(self.COMMAND, None)
+        if command:
+            args['command'] = shlex.split(command)
         container = self.client().containers.run(**args)
         self.resource_id_set(container.uuid)
         return container.uuid
diff --git a/heat/tests/openstack/zun/test_container.py b/heat/tests/openstack/zun/test_container.py
index ca0d4fe287..3588334550 100644
--- a/heat/tests/openstack/zun/test_container.py
+++ b/heat/tests/openstack/zun/test_container.py
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ class ZunContainerTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.client.containers.run.assert_called_once_with(
             name=self.fake_name,
             image=self.fake_image,
-            command=self.fake_command,
+            command=self.fake_command.split(),
             cpu=self.fake_cpu,
             memory=self.fake_memory,
             environment=self.fake_env,