diff --git a/mysql-dbadm.c b/mysql-dbadm.c
index 4f5b721..8a54a87 100644
--- a/mysql-dbadm.c
+++ b/mysql-dbadm.c
@@ -363,7 +363,6 @@ 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, 
@@ -415,15 +414,13 @@ editperm(MYSQL *pmysql, const char *db)
       exit(1);
     }
 
-    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);
+    /* 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);
     perror("Failed to execute editor");
     fprintf(stderr, "Make sure the EDITOR environment variable contains" 
                     " a valid editor\n");