diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/Commandline.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/Commandline.java
index c06147a9..4cd213b0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/Commandline.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/Commandline.java
@@ -491,34 +491,32 @@ public String[] getEnvironmentVariables()
     }
 
     /**
+     * Warning: For built-in commands like 'echo' on {@link Os#FAMILY_WINDOWS}, use <code>cmd /X /C echo</code>  
+     * @deprecated Use {@link org.codehaus.plexus.util.cli.Commandline#getRawCommandline()} method instead.
      * @return Returns the executable and all defined arguments.
-     *      For Windows Family, {@link Commandline#getShellCommandline()} is returned
      */
+    @Deprecated
     public String[] getCommandline()
     {
-        if ( Os.isFamily( Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS ) )
-        {
-            return getShellCommandline();
-        }
-
         return getRawCommandline();
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns the executable and all defined arguments.
+     * Returns the executable and all defined arguments.<br>
+     * Warning: For built-in commands like 'echo' on {@link Os#FAMILY_WINDOWS}, use <code>cmd /X /C echo</code>
      * @return the command line as array not escaped neither quoted
      */
     public String[] getRawCommandline()
     {
         final String[] args = getArguments();
-        String executable = getLiteralExecutable();
+        String executableTmp = getLiteralExecutable();
 
-        if ( executable == null )
+        if ( executableTmp == null )
         {
             return args;
         }
         final String[] result = new String[args.length + 1];
-        result[0] = executable;
+        result[0] = executableTmp;
         System.arraycopy( args, 0, result, 1, args.length );
         return result;
     }
@@ -568,7 +566,7 @@ public String toString()
 
     public int size()
     {
-        return getCommandline().length;
+        return getRawCommandline().length;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -668,7 +666,7 @@ public Process execute()
         {
             if ( workingDir == null )
             {
-                process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec( getCommandline(), environment, workingDir );
+                process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec( getRawCommandline(), environment, workingDir );
             }
             else
             {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/CommandlineTest.java b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/CommandlineTest.java
index 28ec8297..65392bde 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/CommandlineTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/util/cli/CommandlineTest.java
@@ -77,10 +77,15 @@ public void testExecuteBinaryOnPath()
         throws Exception
     {
         // Maven startup script on PATH is required for this test
+        String binary = "mvn";
+        if ( Os.isFamily( Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS ) )
+        {
+            binary += ".cmd";
+        }
         Commandline cmd = new Commandline();
         cmd.setWorkingDirectory( baseDir );
-        cmd.setExecutable( "mvn" );
-        assertEquals( "mvn", cmd.getShell().getOriginalExecutable() );
+        cmd.setExecutable( binary );
+        assertEquals( binary, cmd.getShell().getOriginalExecutable() );
         cmd.createArg().setValue( "-version" );
         Process process = cmd.execute();
         String out = IOUtil.toString( process.getInputStream() );
@@ -94,11 +99,20 @@ public void testExecute()
         throws Exception
     {
         // allow it to detect the proper shell here.
+        String executable = "echo";
         Commandline cmd = new Commandline();
         cmd.setWorkingDirectory( baseDir );
-        cmd.setExecutable( "echo" );
-        assertEquals( "echo", cmd.getShell().getOriginalExecutable() );
-        cmd.createArgument().setValue( "Hello" );
+        if ( Os.isFamily( Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS ) )
+        {
+            cmd.createArg().setValue( "Hello" );
+            executable = "cmd";
+            cmd.createArg().setValue("/X");
+            cmd.createArg().setValue("/C");
+            cmd.createArg().setValue("echo");
+        }
+        cmd.setExecutable( executable );
+        assertEquals( executable, cmd.getShell().getOriginalExecutable() );
+        cmd.createArg().setValue( "Hello" );
 
         Process process = cmd.execute();
         assertEquals( "Hello", IOUtil.toString( process.getInputStream() ).trim() );
@@ -460,7 +474,10 @@ public void testDollarSignInArgumentPath()
         cmd.setExecutable( "cat" );
         if ( Os.isFamily( Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS ) )
         {
-            cmd.setExecutable( "dir" );
+            cmd.setExecutable( "cmd" );
+            cmd.createArg().setLine( "/X" );
+            cmd.createArg().setLine( "/C" );
+            cmd.createArg().setLine( "dir" );
         }
         cmd.setWorkingDirectory( dir );
         cmd.createArg().setLine( "test$1.txt" );