diff --git a/doc/source/etherpad.rst b/doc/source/etherpad.rst
index 78be55359b..46043abf62 100644
--- a/doc/source/etherpad.rst
+++ b/doc/source/etherpad.rst
@@ -49,12 +49,14 @@ browser). This is fairly easily accomplished via the `HTTP API`_, but
 you need the key which is saved in a file on the server so it's easiest
 if done when SSH'd into it locally::
 
-  /usr/local/bin/docker-compose -f /etc/etherpad-docker/docker-compose.yaml exec -T etherpad \
-  bash -c "wget -qO- 'http://localhost:9001/api/1/deletePad?apikey='$(cat \
-  /opt/etherpad-lite/APIKEY.txt)'&padID=XXXXXXXXXX'"
+  wget -qO- "http://localhost:9001/api/1/deletePad?apikey=$(sudo \
+  docker-compose -f /etc/etherpad-docker/docker-compose.yaml exec etherpad \
+  cat /opt/etherpad-lite/APIKEY.txt)&padID=XXXXXXXXXX" ; echo
 
 ...where XXXXXXXXXX is the pad's name as it appears at the end of its
-URL. If all goes well, you should receive a response like::
+URL (the trailing echo is just because the API response doesn't end with
+a newline and so your next appended shell prompt makes it harder to
+read). If all goes well, you should receive a response like::
 
   {"code":0,"message":"ok","data":null}