diff --git a/bin/nova-rootwrap b/bin/nova-rootwrap
index b903f3030e7c..a28205a80357 100755
--- a/bin/nova-rootwrap
+++ b/bin/nova-rootwrap
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 import ConfigParser
 import os
+import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -42,6 +43,13 @@ RC_UNAUTHORIZED = 99
 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)
@@ -77,6 +85,7 @@ 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/nova/utils.py b/nova/utils.py
index f2642f07c302..015ff915a509 100644
--- a/nova/utils.py
+++ b/nova/utils.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import random
 import re
 import shlex
 import shutil
+import signal
 import socket
 import struct
 import sys
@@ -112,6 +113,12 @@ def vpn_ping(address, port, timeout=0.05, session_id=None):
         return server_sess
 
 
+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, **kwargs):
     """Helper method to execute command with optional retry.
 
@@ -180,6 +187,7 @@ def execute(*cmd, **kwargs):
                                    stdout=_PIPE,
                                    stderr=_PIPE,
                                    close_fds=True,
+                                   preexec_fn=_subprocess_setup,
                                    shell=shell)
             result = None
             if process_input is not None: