diff -Nur rdiff-backup-1.2.8.orig/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py rdiff-backup-1.2.8/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py
--- rdiff-backup-1.2.8.orig/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py	2009-10-14 15:01:14.649750067 +0400
+++ rdiff-backup-1.2.8/rdiff_backup/SetConnections.py	2009-10-14 16:01:13.066376858 +0400
@@ -135,15 +135,13 @@
 	if not remote_cmd: return Globals.local_connection
 
 	Log("Executing " + remote_cmd, 4)
-	if os.name == "nt":
+	if sys.version_info > (2, 4):
 		import subprocess
-		try:
-			process = subprocess.Popen(remote_cmd, shell=False, bufsize=0,
-								stdin=subprocess.PIPE, 
-								stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-			(stdin, stdout) = (process.stdin, process.stdout)
-		except OSError:
-			(stdin, stdout) = (None, None)
+		shell = os.name != "nt"
+		process = subprocess.Popen(remote_cmd, shell=shell, bufsize=0,
+							stdin=subprocess.PIPE, 
+							stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+		(stdin, stdout) = (process.stdin, process.stdout)
 	else:
 		stdin, stdout = os.popen2(remote_cmd)
 	conn_number = len(Globals.connections)