diff --git a/pkg/settings/exe/exec.go b/pkg/settings/exe/exec.go
index 75327fe7..192942ca 100644
--- a/pkg/settings/exe/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/settings/exe/exec.go
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ func (r *OSRunner) Capture(cmd *exec.Cmd, timeout int64) (stdout, stderr string,
 	cmd.Stderr = &errbuf
 	err = cmd.Start()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", err
+		stdout = strings.TrimSpace(outbuf.String())
+		stderr = strings.TrimSpace(errbuf.String())
+		return stdout, stderr, err
 	}
 
 	if timeout != 0 {
@@ -54,12 +56,13 @@ func (r *OSRunner) Capture(cmd *exec.Cmd, timeout int64) (stdout, stderr string,
 	if timeout != 0 {
 		timer.Stop()
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", err
-	}
 
 	stdout = strings.TrimSpace(outbuf.String())
 	stderr = strings.TrimSpace(errbuf.String())
+	if err != nil {
+		return stdout, stderr, err
+	}
+
 	if timedOut {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("command timed out")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/settings/exe/passers.go b/pkg/settings/exe/passers.go
index 61e3e3c4..30c7aa45 100644
--- a/pkg/settings/exe/passers.go
+++ b/pkg/settings/exe/passers.go
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ func (c *CmdBuilder) BuildGitCmd(dir string, extraArgs ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 		args = append(args, "-C", dir)
 	}
 
-	args = append(args, extraArgs...)
+	if len(extraArgs) > 0 {
+		args = append(args, extraArgs...)
+	}
 
 	cmd := exec.Command(c.GitBin, args...)
 	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0")
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ func (c *CmdBuilder) BuildMakepkgCmd(dir string, extraArgs ...string) *exec.Cmd
 		args = append(args, "--config", c.MakepkgConfPath)
 	}
 
-	args = append(args, extraArgs...)
+	if len(extraArgs) > 0 {
+		args = append(args, extraArgs...)
+	}
 
 	cmd := exec.Command(c.MakepkgBin, args...)
 	cmd.Dir = dir
diff --git a/pkg/settings/parser.go b/pkg/settings/parser.go
index 2fb45b7d..083fa825 100644
--- a/pkg/settings/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/settings/parser.go
@@ -817,8 +817,8 @@ func (a *Arguments) ParseCommandLine(config *Configuration) error {
 	}
 
 	a.extractYayOptions(config)
-	config.Runtime.CmdBuilder.MakepkgFlags = strings.Split(config.MFlags, " ")
-	config.Runtime.CmdBuilder.GitFlags = strings.Split(config.GitFlags, " ")
+	config.Runtime.CmdBuilder.MakepkgFlags = strings.Fields(config.MFlags)
+	config.Runtime.CmdBuilder.GitFlags = strings.Fields(config.GitFlags)
 	return nil
 }