diff --git a/mysql-dbadm.c b/mysql-dbadm.c
index 8a54a87..4f5b721 100644
--- a/mysql-dbadm.c
+++ b/mysql-dbadm.c
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ editperm(MYSQL *pmysql, const char *db)
   char fn[] = "/tmp/mysql-dbadm.tmp.XXXXXX";
   FILE *f;
   char *editor;
+  char *cmd;
   char line[1024]; /* buffer to hold one line */
   char *cp; /* used to interate through a line */
   char *user, *select_priv, *insert_priv, *update_priv, *delete_priv, 
@@ -414,13 +415,15 @@ editperm(MYSQL *pmysql, const char *db)
       exit(1);
     }
 
-    /* exec sh -c '${EDITOR:-pico} "$1"' sh /tmp/filename
-     *
-     * The parameter expansion syntax doesn't work with old bourne
-     * shells, but it works with newer bourne as well as POSIX shells,
-     * so it should be fine. 
-     */
-    execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", "${EDITOR:-pico} \"$1\"", "sh", fn, NULL);
+    editor = getenv("EDITOR");
+    if (!editor)
+      editor = "pico"; /* OK since editor won't be freed */
+
+    cmd = malloc(sizeof(char) * strlen(editor) + 7);
+    sprintf(cmd, "%s \"$1\"", editor);
+
+    /* sh -c '$EDITOR "$1"' sh "$fn" */
+    execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, "sh", fn, NULL);
     perror("Failed to execute editor");
     fprintf(stderr, "Make sure the EDITOR environment variable contains" 
                     " a valid editor\n");