diff --git a/bin/quantum-rootwrap b/bin/quantum-rootwrap
index bb7fbc0d5dd..96939ae2ff2 100755
--- a/bin/quantum-rootwrap
+++ b/bin/quantum-rootwrap
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 import ConfigParser
 import os
+import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -47,6 +48,12 @@ RC_NOCOMMAND = 98
 RC_BADCONFIG = 97
 
 
+def _subprocess_setup():
+    # Python installs a SIGPIPE handler by default. This is usually not what
+    # non-Python subprocesses expect.
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGPIPE, signal.SIG_DFL)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     # Split arguments, require at least a command
     execname = sys.argv.pop(0)
@@ -84,6 +91,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
                                stdin=sys.stdin,
                                stdout=sys.stdout,
                                stderr=sys.stderr,
+                               preexec_fn=_subprocess_setup,
                                env=filtermatch.get_environment(userargs))
         obj.wait()
         sys.exit(obj.returncode)
diff --git a/quantum/agent/linux/utils.py b/quantum/agent/linux/utils.py
index 70f09414f0e..e8f3b716708 100644
--- a/quantum/agent/linux/utils.py
+++ b/quantum/agent/linux/utils.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import fcntl
 import logging
 import os
 import shlex
+import signal
 import socket
 import struct
 
@@ -30,6 +31,12 @@ from eventlet.green import subprocess
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def _subprocess_setup():
+    # Python installs a SIGPIPE handler by default. This is usually not what
+    # non-Python subprocesses expect.
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGPIPE, signal.SIG_DFL)
+
+
 def execute(cmd, root_helper=None, process_input=None, addl_env=None,
             check_exit_code=True, return_stderr=False):
     if root_helper:
@@ -42,6 +49,7 @@ def execute(cmd, root_helper=None, process_input=None, addl_env=None,
         env.update(addl_env)
     obj = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=False, stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
                            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                           preexec_fn=_subprocess_setup,
                            env=env)
 
     _stdout, _stderr = (process_input and
diff --git a/quantum/common/utils.py b/quantum/common/utils.py
index 3d6db076a93..d76c2ae0939 100644
--- a/quantum/common/utils.py
+++ b/quantum/common/utils.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 import logging
 import os
+import signal
 import subprocess
 import uuid
 
@@ -47,6 +48,12 @@ def boolize(subject):
     return subject
 
 
+def _subprocess_setup():
+    # Python installs a SIGPIPE handler by default. This is usually not what
+    # non-Python subprocesses expect.
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGPIPE, signal.SIG_DFL)
+
+
 def execute(cmd, process_input=None, addl_env=None, check_exit_code=True):
     logging.debug("Running cmd: %s", cmd)
     env = os.environ.copy()
@@ -54,6 +61,7 @@ def execute(cmd, process_input=None, addl_env=None, check_exit_code=True):
         env.update(addl_env)
     obj = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
                            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                           preexec_fn=_subprocess_setup,
                            env=env)
     result = None
     if process_input is not None: