diff --git a/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb b/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
index 0df6891..0111252 100644
--- a/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
+++ b/libraries/pacemaker/cib_object.rb
@@ -108,6 +108,17 @@ module Pacemaker
       "%s '%s'" % [self.class.description, name]
     end
 
+    # Returns a single-quoted shell-escaped version of the definition
+    # string, suitable for use in a command like:
+    #
+    #     echo '...' | crm configure load update -
+    def quoted_definition_string
+      "'%s'" % \
+      definition_string \
+        .gsub('\\') { '\\\\' } \
+        .gsub("'")  { "\\'" }
+    end
+
     def delete_command
       "crm configure delete '#{name}'"
     end
diff --git a/providers/colocation.rb b/providers/colocation.rb
index 2f8d50b..61ddfeb 100644
--- a/providers/colocation.rb
+++ b/providers/colocation.rb
@@ -64,10 +64,8 @@ def maybe_modify_resource(name)
   desired_colocation = cib_object_class.from_chef_resource(new_resource)
   if desired_colocation.definition_string != @current_cib_object.definition_string
     Chef::Log.debug "changed from [#{@current_cib_object.definition_string}] to [#{desired_colocation.definition_string}]"
-    to_echo = desired_colocation.definition_string.chomp
-    to_echo.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }
-    to_echo.gsub!("'", "\\'")
-    cmd = "echo '#{to_echo}' | crm configure load update -"
+    to_echo = desired_colocation.quoted_definition_string
+    cmd = "echo #{to_echo} | crm configure load update -"
     execute cmd do
       action :nothing
     end.run_action(:run)
diff --git a/providers/primitive.rb b/providers/primitive.rb
index a736f7f..449d721 100644
--- a/providers/primitive.rb
+++ b/providers/primitive.rb
@@ -103,10 +103,8 @@ def maybe_modify_resource(name)
   desired_primitive = cib_object_class.from_chef_resource(new_resource)
   if desired_primitive.op_string != @current_cib_object.op_string
     Chef::Log.debug "op changed from [#{@current_cib_object.op_string}] to [#{desired_primitive.op_string}]"
-    to_echo = desired_primitive.definition_string.chomp
-    to_echo.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }
-    to_echo.gsub!("'", "\\'")
-    cmds = ["echo '#{to_echo}' | crm configure load update -"]
+    to_echo = desired_primitive.quoted_definition_string
+    cmds = ["echo #{to_echo} | crm configure load update -"]
   else
     maybe_configure_params(name, cmds, :params)
     maybe_configure_params(name, cmds, :meta)
diff --git a/spec/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive_spec.rb b/spec/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive_spec.rb
index eeb01a8..61836f9 100644
--- a/spec/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/libraries/pacemaker/resource/primitive_spec.rb
@@ -123,6 +123,21 @@ EOF
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#quoted_definition_string" do
+    it "should return the quoted definition string" do
+      primitive = Pacemaker::Resource::Primitive.new('foo')
+      primitive.definition = <<'EOF'.chomp
+primitive foo ocf:openstack:keystone \
+         params bar="baz\\qux" bar2="baz'qux"
+EOF
+      primitive.parse_definition
+      expect(primitive.quoted_definition_string).to eq(<<'EOF'.chomp)
+'primitive foo ocf:openstack:keystone \\
+         params bar="baz\\qux" bar2="baz\'qux"'
+EOF
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#parse_definition" do
     before(:each) do
       @parsed = Pacemaker::Resource::Primitive.new(fixture.name)
diff --git a/spec/providers/colocation_spec.rb b/spec/providers/colocation_spec.rb
index aca39d2..b289c1f 100644
--- a/spec/providers/colocation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/providers/colocation_spec.rb
@@ -46,10 +46,9 @@ describe "Chef::Provider::PacemakerColocation" do
     end
 
     it "should modify the constraint if it has a different score" do
-      echo_string = colo.definition_string.chomp.gsub('inf', '100')
-      echo_string.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }
+      echo_string = colo.quoted_definition_string.gsub('inf', '100')
       expected_configure_cmd_args = [
-        "echo '#{echo_string}' | crm configure load update -"
+        "echo #{echo_string} | crm configure load update -"
       ]
       test_modify(expected_configure_cmd_args) do
         @resource.score '100'
@@ -60,10 +59,9 @@ describe "Chef::Provider::PacemakerColocation" do
       new_resource = 'bar:Stopped'
       expected = colo.dup
       expected.resources = expected.resources.dup + [new_resource]
-      echo_string = expected.definition_string.chomp
-      echo_string.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }
+      echo_string = expected.quoted_definition_string
       expected_configure_cmd_args = [
-        "echo '#{echo_string}' | crm configure load update -"
+        "echo #{echo_string} | crm configure load update -"
       ]
       test_modify(expected_configure_cmd_args) do
         @resource.resources expected.resources
@@ -73,10 +71,9 @@ describe "Chef::Provider::PacemakerColocation" do
     it "should modify the constraint if it has a different resource" do
       new_resources = ['bar:Started']
       colo.resources = new_resources
-      echo_string = colo.definition_string.chomp
-      echo_string.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }
+      echo_string = colo.quoted_definition_string
       expected_configure_cmd_args = [
-        "echo '#{echo_string}' | crm configure load update -"
+        "echo #{echo_string} | crm configure load update -"
       ]
       test_modify(expected_configure_cmd_args) do
         @resource.resources new_resources
diff --git a/spec/providers/primitive_spec.rb b/spec/providers/primitive_spec.rb
index 8958ba2..4f3e6dd 100644
--- a/spec/providers/primitive_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/providers/primitive_spec.rb
@@ -91,10 +91,9 @@ describe "Chef::Provider::PacemakerPrimitive" do
     end
 
     it "should modify the primitive if it has different op values" do
-      echo_string = rsc.definition_string.chomp
-      echo_string.gsub!('\\') { '\\\\' }.gsub!('60', '120')
+      echo_string = rsc.quoted_definition_string.gsub!('60', '120')
       expected_configure_cmd_args = [
-        "echo '#{echo_string}' | crm configure load update -"
+        "echo #{echo_string} | crm configure load update -"
       ]
       test_modify(expected_configure_cmd_args) do
         new_op = Hash[rsc.op]