diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
index eeb20087f..9c406fd30 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/config/machine.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import json
 import os
 import re
-import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 
+from clan_cli.cmd import run
 from clan_cli.dirs import machine_settings_file, nixpkgs_source, specific_machine_dir
 from clan_cli.errors import ClanError, ClanHttpError
 from clan_cli.git import commit_file
@@ -60,11 +60,9 @@ def verify_machine_config(
                 """,
             ],
         )
-        # repro_env_break(work_dir=flake, env=env, cmd=cmd)
-        proc = subprocess.run(
+
+        proc = run(
             cmd,
-            capture_output=True,
-            text=True,
             cwd=flake,
             env=env,
         )
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
index ade5561c8..aa0a875b9 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/flakes/inspect.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import argparse
-import shlex
-import subprocess
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from ..cmd import run
 from ..dirs import specific_groot_dir
 from ..errors import ClanError
 from ..machines.list import list_machines
@@ -26,18 +25,7 @@ class FlakeConfig:
 
 
 def run_cmd(cmd: list[str]) -> str:
-    proc = subprocess.run(cmd, text=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-    assert proc.stdout is not None
-    if proc.returncode != 0:
-        raise ClanError(
-            f"""
-command: {shlex.join(cmd)}
-exit code: {proc.returncode}
-stdout:
-{proc.stdout}
-"""
-        )
-
+    proc = run(cmd)
     return proc.stdout.strip()
 
 
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
index 126f8587d..be318c32a 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/git.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-import shlex
-import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
 # from clan_cli.dirs import find_git_repo_root
-from clan_cli.errors import ClanError
+from clan_cli.errors import ClanCmdError, ClanError
 from clan_cli.nix import nix_shell
 
+from .cmd import run
+
 
 # generic vcs agnostic commit function
 def commit_file(
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ def _commit_file_to_git(repo_dir: Path, file_path: Path, commit_message: str) ->
     )
     # add the file to the git index
     try:
-        subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        run(cmd)
+    except ClanCmdError as e:
         raise ClanError(
-            f"Failed to add {file_path} to git repository {repo_dir}:\n{shlex.join(cmd)}\n exited with {e.returncode}"
+            f"Failed to add {file_path} to git repository {repo_dir}:\n{e.cmd.command}\n exited with {e.cmd.returncode}"
         ) from e
 
     # check if there is a diff
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def _commit_file_to_git(repo_dir: Path, file_path: Path, commit_message: str) ->
         ["nixpkgs#git"],
         ["git", "-C", str(repo_dir), "diff", "--cached", "--exit-code", str(file_path)],
     )
-    result = subprocess.run(cmd, cwd=repo_dir)
+    result = run(cmd, cwd=repo_dir)
     # if there is no diff, return
     if result.returncode == 0:
         return
@@ -73,11 +73,10 @@ def _commit_file_to_git(repo_dir: Path, file_path: Path, commit_message: str) ->
         ],
     )
     try:
-        subprocess.run(
+        run(
             cmd,
-            check=True,
         )
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+    except ClanCmdError as e:
         raise ClanError(
-            f"Failed to commit {file_path} to git repository {repo_dir}:\n{shlex.join(cmd)}\n exited with {e.returncode}"
+            f"Failed to commit {file_path} to git repository {repo_dir}:\n{e.cmd.command}\n exited with {e.cmd.returncode}"
         ) from e