diff --git a/Lib/distutils/spawn.py b/Lib/distutils/spawn.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/spawn.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/spawn.py
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ def _spawn_nt(cmd, search_path=1, verbos
         except OSError as exc:
             # this seems to happen when the command isn't found
             raise DistutilsExecError(
-                  "command '%s' failed: %s" % (cmd[0], exc.args[-1]))
+                  "command %r failed: %s" % (cmd, exc.args[-1]))
         if rc != 0:
             # and this reflects the command running but failing
             raise DistutilsExecError(
-                  "command '%s' failed with exit status %d" % (cmd[0], rc))
+                  "command %r failed with exit status %d" % (cmd, rc))
 
 def _spawn_os2(cmd, search_path=1, verbose=0, dry_run=0):
     executable = cmd[0]
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ def _spawn_os2(cmd, search_path=1, verbo
         except OSError as exc:
             # this seems to happen when the command isn't found
             raise DistutilsExecError(
-                  "command '%s' failed: %s" % (cmd[0], exc.args[-1]))
+                  "command %r failed: %s" % (cmd, exc.args[-1]))
         if rc != 0:
             # and this reflects the command running but failing
             log.debug("command '%s' failed with exit status %d" % (cmd[0], rc))
             raise DistutilsExecError(
-                  "command '%s' failed with exit status %d" % (cmd[0], rc))
+                  "command %r failed with exit status %d" % (cmd, rc))
 
 def _spawn_posix(cmd, search_path=1, verbose=0, dry_run=0):
     log.info(' '.join(cmd))
@@ -123,25 +123,25 @@ def _spawn_posix(cmd, search_path=1, ver
                 if exc.errno == errno.EINTR:
                     continue
                 raise DistutilsExecError(
-                      "command '%s' failed: %s" % (cmd[0], exc.args[-1]))
+                      "command %r failed: %s" % (cmd, exc.args[-1]))
             if os.WIFSIGNALED(status):
                 raise DistutilsExecError(
-                      "command '%s' terminated by signal %d"
-                      % (cmd[0], os.WTERMSIG(status)))
+                      "command %r terminated by signal %d"
+                      % (cmd, os.WTERMSIG(status)))
             elif os.WIFEXITED(status):
                 exit_status = os.WEXITSTATUS(status)
                 if exit_status == 0:
                     return   # hey, it succeeded!
                 else:
                     raise DistutilsExecError(
-                          "command '%s' failed with exit status %d"
-                          % (cmd[0], exit_status))
+                          "command %r failed with exit status %d"
+                          % (cmd, exit_status))
             elif os.WIFSTOPPED(status):
                 continue
             else:
                 raise DistutilsExecError(
-                      "unknown error executing '%s': termination status %d"
-                      % (cmd[0], status))
+                      "unknown error executing %r: termination status %d"
+                      % (cmd, status))
 
 def find_executable(executable, path=None):
     """Tries to find 'executable' in the directories listed in 'path'.