diff --git a/cmdline/scan.c b/cmdline/scan.c
index 405d3652..0ce1aea7 100644
--- a/cmdline/scan.c
+++ b/cmdline/scan.c
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ static void scan_file(struct snapraid_scan* scan, int is_diff, const char* sub,
 			/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
 			log_fatal("The file '%s%s' has unexpected zero size!\n", disk->dir, sub);
 			log_fatal("It's possible that after a kernel crash this file was lost,\n");
-			log_fatal("and you can use 'snapraid fix -f %s' to recover it.\n", esc_shell('/', sub, esc_buffer));
+			log_fatal("and you can use 'snapraid fix -f /%s' to recover it.\n", esc_shell(sub, esc_buffer));
 			if (!is_diff) {
 				log_fatal("If this an expected condition you can '%s' anyway using 'snapraid --force-zero %s'\n", state->command, state->command);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
diff --git a/cmdline/snapraid.c b/cmdline/snapraid.c
index 3f6ad431..6b70252d 100644
--- a/cmdline/snapraid.c
+++ b/cmdline/snapraid.c
@@ -101,17 +101,17 @@ void test(int argc, char* argv[])
 	for (i = 2; i < argc; ++i) {
 		printf("argv[%d]\n", i);
 		printf("\t#%s#\n", argv[i]);
-		printf("\t#%s#\n", esc_shell(0, argv[i], buffer));
+		printf("\t#%s#\n", esc_shell(argv[i], buffer));
 	}
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, " ", buffer), "\" \"") == 0);
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, " \" ", buffer), "\" \"\\\"\" \"") == 0);
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, "&|()<>^", buffer), "^&^|^(^)^<^>^^") == 0);
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, "&|()<>^ ", buffer), "\"&|()<>^ \"") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(" ", buffer), "\" \"") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(" \" ", buffer), "\" \"\\\"\" \"") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell("&|()<>^", buffer), "^&^|^(^)^<^>^^") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell("&|()<>^ ", buffer), "\"&|()<>^ \"") == 0);
 #else
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, ",._+:@%%/-", buffer), ",._+:@%%/-") == 0);
-	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(0, " ", buffer), "\\ ") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(",._+:@%%/-", buffer), ",._+:@%%/-") == 0);
+	assert(strcmp(esc_shell(" ", buffer), "\\ ") == 0);
 #endif
 
 	printf("Everything OK\n");
diff --git a/cmdline/support.c b/cmdline/support.c
index 8ce078e3..86cca28b 100644
--- a/cmdline/support.c
+++ b/cmdline/support.c
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ bail:
 	/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
 }
 
-const char* esc_shell(char prefix, const char* str, char* buffer)
+const char* esc_shell(const char* str, char* buffer)
 {
 	char* begin = buffer;
 	char* end = begin + ESC_MAX;
@@ -446,13 +446,6 @@ const char* esc_shell(char prefix, const char* str, char* buffer)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	/* add the prefix char, if any */
-	if (prefix) {
-		if (p == end)
-			goto bail;
-		*p++ = prefix;
-	}
-
 	/* copy string with escaping */
 	while (*str) {
 		char c = *str;
diff --git a/cmdline/support.h b/cmdline/support.h
index d81d104f..4c09c802 100644
--- a/cmdline/support.h
+++ b/cmdline/support.h
@@ -227,10 +227,9 @@ const char* esc_tag(const char* str, char* buffer);
 /**
  * Escape a string for the shell.
  *
- * \param prefix Char to prefix at the string.
  * \param buffer Preallocated buffer of ESC_MAX size.
  */
-const char* esc_shell(char prefix, const char* str, char* buffer);
+const char* esc_shell(const char* str, char* buffer);
 
 /**
  * Polish a string.
diff --git a/cmdline/sync.c b/cmdline/sync.c
index f6066d68..3469ecb3 100644
--- a/cmdline/sync.c
+++ b/cmdline/sync.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static int state_hash_process(struct snapraid_state* state, block_off_t blocksta
 				log_tag("error:%u:%s:%s: Open error. %s\n", i, disk->name, esc_tag(file->sub, esc_buffer), strerror(errno));
 				log_fatal("WARNING! Unexpected open error in a data disk, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 				log_fatal("Ensure that file '%s' can be accessed.\n", handle[j].path);
-				log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f %s'\n", esc_shell('/', file->sub, esc_buffer));
+				log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f /%s'\n", esc_shell(file->sub, esc_buffer));
 				++error;
 				goto bail;
 				/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ static int state_hash_process(struct snapraid_state* state, block_off_t blocksta
 				log_tag("error:%u:%s:%s: Read error at position %u. %s\n", i, disk->name, esc_tag(file->sub, esc_buffer), file_pos, strerror(errno));
 				log_fatal("WARNING! Unexpected read error in a data disk, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 				log_fatal("Ensure that file '%s' can be read.\n", handle[j].path);
-				log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f %s'\n", esc_shell('/', file->sub, esc_buffer));
+				log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f /%s'\n", esc_shell(file->sub, esc_buffer));
 				++error;
 				goto bail;
 				/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ static void sync_data_reader(struct snapraid_worker* worker, struct snapraid_tas
 		log_tag("error:%u:%s:%s: Open error. %s\n", blockcur, disk->name, esc_tag(task->file->sub, esc_buffer), strerror(errno));
 		log_fatal("WARNING! Unexpected open error in a data disk, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 		log_fatal("Ensure that file '%s' can be accessed.\n", handle->path);
-		log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f %s'\n", esc_shell('/', task->file->sub, esc_buffer));
+		log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f /%s'\n", esc_shell(task->file->sub, esc_buffer));
 		task->state = TASK_STATE_ERROR;
 		return;
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ static void sync_data_reader(struct snapraid_worker* worker, struct snapraid_tas
 		log_tag("error:%u:%s:%s: Read error at position %u. %s\n", blockcur, disk->name, esc_tag(task->file->sub, esc_buffer), task->file_pos, strerror(errno));
 		log_fatal("WARNING! Unexpected read error in a data disk, it isn't possible to sync.\n");
 		log_fatal("Ensure that file '%s' can be read.\n", handle->path);
-		log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f %s'\n", esc_shell('/', task->file->sub, esc_buffer));
+		log_fatal("Stopping to allow recovery. Try with 'snapraid check -f /%s'\n", esc_shell(task->file->sub, esc_buffer));
 		task->state = TASK_STATE_ERROR;
 		return;
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */