diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/docker.py b/pre_commit/languages/docker.py
index ea415c94..cfd38ddb 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/docker.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/docker.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import hashlib
 import os
-import shlex
 
 from pre_commit import five
 from pre_commit.languages import helpers
@@ -83,8 +82,8 @@ def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
     # automated cleanup of docker images.
     build_docker_image(repo_cmd_runner, pull=False)
 
-    entry_parts = shlex.split(hook['entry'])
-    entry_executable, entry_args = entry_parts[0], entry_parts[1:]
+    hook_cmd = helpers.to_cmd(hook)
+    entry_executable, cmd_rest = hook_cmd[0], hook_cmd[1:]
 
     cmd = (
         'docker', 'run',
@@ -94,6 +93,6 @@ def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
         '--workdir', '/src',
         '--entrypoint', entry_executable,
         docker_tag(repo_cmd_runner)
-    )
+    ) + cmd_rest
 
-    return xargs(cmd + tuple(entry_args) + tuple(hook['args']), file_args)
+    return xargs(cmd, file_args)
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/helpers.py b/pre_commit/languages/helpers.py
index f0c4240a..a035c470 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/helpers.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/helpers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import shlex
+
 from pre_commit.util import cmd_output
 
 
@@ -12,3 +14,7 @@ def environment_dir(ENVIRONMENT_DIR, language_version):
         return None
     else:
         return '{}-{}'.format(ENVIRONMENT_DIR, language_version)
+
+
+def to_cmd(hook):
+    return tuple(shlex.split(hook['entry'])) + tuple(hook['args'])
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/node.py b/pre_commit/languages/node.py
index cf104bd8..a5919824 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/node.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/node.py
@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ def install_environment(
 
 def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
     with in_env(repo_cmd_runner, hook['language_version']):
-        return xargs((hook['entry'],) + tuple(hook['args']), file_args)
+        return xargs(helpers.to_cmd(hook), file_args)
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/python.py b/pre_commit/languages/python.py
index d785bbc9..11be01d0 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/python.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/python.py
@@ -83,4 +83,4 @@ def install_environment(
 
 def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
     with in_env(repo_cmd_runner, hook['language_version']):
-        return xargs((hook['entry'],) + tuple(hook['args']), file_args)
+        return xargs(helpers.to_cmd(hook), file_args)
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/ruby.py b/pre_commit/languages/ruby.py
index d79b6da5..2e01012a 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/ruby.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/ruby.py
@@ -128,4 +128,4 @@ def install_environment(
 
 def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
     with in_env(repo_cmd_runner, hook['language_version']):
-        return xargs((hook['entry'],) + tuple(hook['args']), file_args)
+        return xargs(helpers.to_cmd(hook), file_args)
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/script.py b/pre_commit/languages/script.py
index 5c652846..762ae763 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/script.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/script.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+from pre_commit.languages import helpers
 from pre_commit.xargs import xargs
 
 
@@ -16,7 +17,6 @@ def install_environment(
 
 
 def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
-    return xargs(
-        (repo_cmd_runner.prefix_dir + hook['entry'],) + tuple(hook['args']),
-        file_args,
-    )
+    cmd = helpers.to_cmd(hook)
+    cmd = (repo_cmd_runner.prefix_dir + cmd[0],) + cmd[1:]
+    return xargs(cmd, file_args)
diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/system.py b/pre_commit/languages/system.py
index 8be45855..c9e1c5dc 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/system.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/system.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
-import shlex
-
+from pre_commit.languages import helpers
 from pre_commit.xargs import xargs
 
 
@@ -18,6 +17,4 @@ def install_environment(
 
 
 def run_hook(repo_cmd_runner, hook, file_args):
-    return xargs(
-        tuple(shlex.split(hook['entry'])) + tuple(hook['args']), file_args,
-    )
+    return xargs(helpers.to_cmd(hook), file_args)