diff --git a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh.java b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh.java
index 8b922bc918..b23310a816 100644
--- a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh.java
+++ b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/callables/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh.java
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ import com.google.inject.assistedinject.AssistedInject;
  * @author Adrian Cole
  */
 public class RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh implements RunScriptOnNode {
+   public static final String MARKER = "RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH";
+
    @Resource
    @Named(ComputeServiceConstants.COMPUTE_LOGGER)
    protected Logger logger = Logger.NULL;
@@ -102,9 +104,9 @@ public class RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh implements RunScriptOnNode {
    public String execAsRoot(String command) {
       if (node.getCredentials().identity.equals("root")) {
       } else if (node.getAdminPassword() != null) {
-         command = String.format("echo '%s'|sudo -S %s", node.getAdminPassword(), command);
+          command = String.format("sudo -S sh <<'%s'\n%s\n%s%s\n", MARKER, node.getAdminPassword(), command, MARKER);
       } else {
-         command = "sudo " + command;
+          command = String.format("sudo sh <<'%s'\n%s%s\n", MARKER, command, MARKER);
       }
       return command;
    }
diff --git a/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callable/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callable/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..368037235a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/callable/RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+/**
+ * Licensed to jclouds, Inc. (jclouds) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+ * distributed with this work for additional information
+ * regarding copyright ownership.  jclouds licenses this file
+ * to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package org.jclouds.compute.callable;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Function;
+import org.jclouds.compute.callables.RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh;
+import org.jclouds.compute.domain.ExecResponse;
+import org.jclouds.compute.domain.NodeMetadata;
+import org.jclouds.domain.Credentials;
+import org.jclouds.scriptbuilder.statements.login.UserAdd;
+import org.jclouds.ssh.SshClient;
+import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.*;
+import static org.jclouds.compute.options.RunScriptOptions.Builder.wrapInInitScript;
+import static org.jclouds.scriptbuilder.domain.Statements.exec;
+
+/**
+ * @author Adam Lowe
+ */
+@Test(groups={"unit"}, singleThreaded = true)
+public class RunScriptOnNodeUsingSshTest  {
+    private SshClient sshClient;
+    private NodeMetadata node;
+    private Function<NodeMetadata, SshClient> sshFactory;
+
+    @BeforeMethod(groups={"unit"})
+    public void init() {
+        sshClient = createMock(SshClient.class);
+        sshFactory = new Function<NodeMetadata, SshClient>() {
+            @Override
+            public SshClient apply(@Nullable NodeMetadata nodeMetadata) {
+                return sshClient;
+            }
+        };
+        node = createMock(NodeMetadata.class);
+        expect(node.getCredentials()).andReturn(new Credentials("tester", "notalot"));
+        expect(node.getAdminPassword()).andReturn(null).atLeastOnce();
+        replay(node);
+    }
+
+    public void simpleTest() {
+        RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh testMe = new RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh(sshFactory, node, exec("echo $USER\necho $USER"),
+                wrapInInitScript(false).runAsRoot(false));
+
+        testMe.init();
+
+        sshClient.connect();
+        expect(sshClient.getUsername()).andReturn("tester");
+        expect(sshClient.getHostAddress()).andReturn("somewhere.example.com");
+        expect(sshClient.exec("echo $USER\n" +
+            "echo $USER\n")).andReturn(new ExecResponse("tester\ntester\n", null, 0));
+        sshClient.disconnect();
+        replay(sshClient);
+
+        testMe.call();
+    }
+
+    public void simpleRootTest() {
+        RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh testMe = new RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh(sshFactory, node, exec("echo $USER\necho $USER"),
+                wrapInInitScript(false).runAsRoot(true));
+
+        testMe.init();
+
+        sshClient.connect();
+        expect(sshClient.getUsername()).andReturn("tester");
+        expect(sshClient.getHostAddress()).andReturn("somewhere.example.com");
+        expect(sshClient.exec("sudo sh <<'RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH'\n" +
+                "echo $USER\n" +
+                "echo $USER\n" +
+                "RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH\n")).andReturn(new ExecResponse("root\nroot\n", null, 0));
+        sshClient.disconnect();
+        replay(sshClient);
+
+        testMe.call();
+    }
+
+    public void simpleRootTestWithSudoPassword() throws IOException {
+        node = createMock(NodeMetadata.class);
+        expect(node.getCredentials()).andReturn(new Credentials("tester", "notalot"));
+        expect(node.getAdminPassword()).andReturn("testpassword!").atLeastOnce();
+        replay(node);
+        RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh testMe = new RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh(sshFactory, node, exec("echo $USER\necho $USER"),
+                wrapInInitScript(false).runAsRoot(true));
+        testMe.init();
+
+        sshClient.connect();
+        expect(sshClient.getUsername()).andReturn("tester");
+        expect(sshClient.getHostAddress()).andReturn("somewhere.example.com");
+        expect(sshClient.exec("sudo -S sh <<'RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH'\n" +
+                "testpassword!\n" +
+                "echo $USER\n" +
+                "echo $USER\n" +
+                "RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH\n")).andReturn(new ExecResponse("root\nroot\n", null, 0));
+        sshClient.disconnect();
+        replay(sshClient);
+
+        testMe.call();
+    }
+
+    public void testUserAddAsRoot() {
+        RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh testMe = new RunScriptOnNodeUsingSsh(sshFactory, node,
+                UserAdd.builder().login("testuser").build(),
+                wrapInInitScript(false).runAsRoot(true).overrideLoginCredentialWith("test"));
+
+        testMe.init();
+
+        sshClient.connect();
+        expect(sshClient.getUsername()).andReturn("tester");
+        expect(sshClient.getHostAddress()).andReturn("somewhere.example.com");
+        expect(sshClient.exec("sudo sh <<'RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH'\n" +
+                "mkdir -p /home/users/testuser\n" +
+                "useradd -s /bin/bash -d /home/users/testuser testuser\n" +
+                "chown -R testuser /home/users/testuser\n" +
+                "RUN_SCRIPT_AS_ROOT_SSH\n")).andReturn(new ExecResponse("done", null, 0));
+        sshClient.disconnect();
+        replay(sshClient);
+
+        testMe.call();
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file