diff --git a/ansible/roles/ovs-dpdk/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/roles/ovs-dpdk/handlers/main.yml
index 4401940c3b..72d7c27c77 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/ovs-dpdk/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/ovs-dpdk/handlers/main.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   vars:
     service_name: "ovsdpdk-db"
     service: "{{ ovsdpdk_services[service_name] }}"
-  command: "docker exec -e \"CONFIG_FILE={{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.conf\" {{ service.container_name }} {{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.sh init"
+  command: "docker exec {{ service.container_name }} /bin/sh -c 'CONFIG_FILE={{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.conf {{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.sh init'"
   register: status
   changed_when: status.stdout.find('changed') != -1
   when:
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
   vars:
     service_name: "ovsdpdk-db"
     service: "{{ ovsdpdk_services[service_name] }}"
-  command: "docker exec -e \"CONFIG_FILE={{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.conf\" {{ service.container_name }} {{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.sh init"
+  command: "docker exec {{ service.container_name }} /bin/sh -c 'CONFIG_FILE={{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.conf {{ container_config_directory }}/ovs-dpdkctl.sh init'"
   register: status
   changed_when: status.stdout.find('changed') != -1
   when: