diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index 3dfd201cc0..d2ff77a2b9 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import distutils.version
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import pipes
 import re
 import subprocess
 import stat
@@ -128,6 +129,9 @@ class BaseTask(Task):
                 env[k] = '*'*len(str(v))
         return env
 
+    def args2cmdline(self, *args):
+        return ' '.join([pipes.quote(a) for a in args])
+
     def build_args(self, instance, **kwargs):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
@@ -378,8 +382,8 @@ class RunJob(BaseTask):
         args.append(job.playbook) # relative path to project.local_path
         ssh_key_path = kwargs.get('private_data_file', '')
         if ssh_key_path:
-            cmd = ' '.join([subprocess.list2cmdline(['ssh-add', ssh_key_path]),
-                            '&&', subprocess.list2cmdline(args)])
+            cmd = ' '.join([self.args2cmdline('ssh-add', ssh_key_path),
+                            '&&', self.args2cmdline(*args)])
             args = ['ssh-agent', 'sh', '-c', cmd]
         return args
 
@@ -612,7 +616,7 @@ class RunProjectUpdate(BaseTask):
         ssh_key_path = kwargs.get('private_data_file', '')
         if ssh_key_path:
             subcmds = [('ssh-add', ssh_key_path), args]
-            cmd = ' && '.join([subprocess.list2cmdline(x) for x in subcmds])
+            cmd = ' && '.join([self.args2cmdline(*x) for x in subcmds])
             args = ['ssh-agent', 'sh', '-c', cmd]
         return args
 
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/tasks.py b/awx/main/tests/tasks.py
index 137772c4cc..9f8e59b427 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/tasks.py
@@ -160,14 +160,13 @@ class RunJobTest(BaseCeleryTest):
         self.test_project_path = None
         self.setup_users()
         self.organization = self.make_organizations(self.super_django_user, 1)[0]
-        self.inventory = Inventory.objects.create(name='test-inventory',
-                                                  description='description for test-inventory',
-                                                  organization=self.organization)
-        self.host = self.inventory.hosts.create(name='host.example.com',
-                                                inventory=self.inventory)
-        self.group = self.inventory.groups.create(name='test-group',
-                                                  inventory=self.inventory)
+        self.inventory = self.organization.inventories.create(name='test-inventory',
+                                                              description='description for test-inventory')
+        self.host = self.inventory.hosts.create(name='host.example.com')
+        self.group = self.inventory.groups.create(name='test-group')
+        self.group2 = self.inventory.groups.create(name='test-group2')
         self.group.hosts.add(self.host)
+        self.group2.hosts.add(self.host)
         self.project = None
         self.credential = None
         # Monkeypatch RunJob to capture list of command line arguments.
@@ -703,6 +702,19 @@ class RunJobTest(BaseCeleryTest):
         self.check_job_result(job, 'failed')
         self.assertTrue('-l' in self.run_job_args)
 
+    def test_limit_option_with_group_pattern_and_ssh_agent(self):
+        self.create_test_credential(ssh_key_data=TEST_SSH_KEY_DATA)
+        self.create_test_project(TEST_PLAYBOOK)
+        job_template = self.create_test_job_template(limit='test-group:&test-group2')
+        job = self.create_test_job(job_template=job_template)
+        self.assertEqual(job.status, 'new')
+        self.assertFalse(job.passwords_needed_to_start)
+        self.assertTrue(job.start())
+        self.assertEqual(job.status, 'pending')
+        job = Job.objects.get(pk=job.pk)
+        self.check_job_result(job, 'successful')
+        self.assertTrue('ssh-agent' in self.run_job_args)
+
     def test_ssh_username_and_password(self):
         self.create_test_credential(username='sshuser', password='sshpass')
         self.create_test_project(TEST_PLAYBOOK)