diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 4d2271a0..d8c6611f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-sourcemap/sourcemap v2.1.3+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/gofrs/uuid v4.0.0+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/golang-jwt/jwt v3.2.2+incompatible // indirect
+	github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510 // indirect
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0 // indirect
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.2 // indirect
 	github.com/jackc/chunkreader/v2 v2.0.1 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 9f598a34..4ebc62da 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ github.com/golangci/lint-1 v0.0.0-20181222135242-d2cdd8c08219/go.mod h1:/X8TswGS
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.5/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/gofuzz v1.0.0/go.mod h1:dBl0BpW6vV/+mYPU4Po3pmUjxk6FQPldtuIdl/M65Eg=
 github.com/google/renameio v0.1.0/go.mod h1:KWCgfxg9yswjAJkECMjeO8J8rahYeXnNhOm40UhjYkI=
+github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510 h1:El6M4kTTCOh6aBiKaUGG7oYTSPP8MxqL4YI3kZKwcP4=
+github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510/go.mod h1:pupxD2MaaD3pAXIBCelhxNneeOaAeabZDe5s4K6zSpQ=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0 h1:t6JiXgmwXMjEs8VusXIJk2BXHsn+wx8BZdTaoZ5fu7I=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0/go.mod h1:TIyPZe4MgqvfeYDBFedMoGGpEw/LqOeaOT+nhxU+yHo=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0 h1:i40aqfkR1h2SlN9hojwV5ZA91wcXFOvkdNIeFDP5koI=
diff --git a/internal/worker/command_blender.go b/internal/worker/command_blender.go
index 90e4aa22..3ea89839 100644
--- a/internal/worker/command_blender.go
+++ b/internal/worker/command_blender.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/google/shlex"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
 	"gitlab.com/blender/flamenco-ng-poc/pkg/api"
 )
@@ -89,5 +90,19 @@ func cmdBlenderRenderParams(logger zerolog.Logger, cmd api.Command) (BlenderPara
 		return parameters, fmt.Errorf("invalid 'args' parameter: %+v", cmd.Parameters)
 	}
 
+	// Move any CLI args from 'exe' to 'argsBefore'.
+	exeArgs, err := shlex.Split(parameters.exe)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warn().Err(err).Interface("command", cmd).Msg("error parsing 'exe' parameter with shlex")
+		return parameters, fmt.Errorf("error parsing 'exe' parameter %q: %w", parameters.exe, err)
+	}
+	if len(exeArgs) > 1 {
+		allArgsBefore := []string{}
+		allArgsBefore = append(allArgsBefore, exeArgs[1:]...)
+		allArgsBefore = append(allArgsBefore, parameters.argsBefore...)
+		parameters.exe = exeArgs[0]
+		parameters.argsBefore = allArgsBefore
+	}
+
 	return parameters, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/worker/command_blender_test.go b/internal/worker/command_blender_test.go
index a48ef834..02397d56 100644
--- a/internal/worker/command_blender_test.go
+++ b/internal/worker/command_blender_test.go
@@ -54,3 +54,35 @@ func TestCmdBlenderSimpleCliArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	err := ce.cmdBlenderRender(ctx, zerolog.Nop(), taskID, cmd)
 	assert.Equal(t, ErrNoExecCmd, err, "nil *exec.Cmd should result in ErrNoExecCmd")
 }
+
+func TestCmdBlenderCliArgsInExeParameter(t *testing.T) {
+	mockCtrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer mockCtrl.Finish()
+
+	ce, mocks := testCommandExecutor(t, mockCtrl)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	taskID := "1d54c6fe-1242-4c8f-bd63-5a09e358d7b6"
+	cmd := api.Command{
+		Name: "blender",
+		Parameters: map[string]interface{}{
+			"exe":        "/path/to/blender --factory-startup --python-expr \"import bpy; print('hello world')\"",
+			"argsBefore": []string{"-no-audio"},
+			"blendfile":  "file with spaces.blend",
+			"args":       []string{"--debug"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	mocks.cli.EXPECT().CommandContext(ctx,
+		"/path/to/blender",                 // from 'exe'
+		"--factory-startup",                // from 'exe'
+		"--python-expr",                    // from 'exe'
+		"import bpy; print('hello world')", // from 'exe'
+		"-no-audio",                        // from 'argsBefore'
+		"file with spaces.blend",           // from 'blendfile'
+		"--debug",                          // from 'args'
+	).Return(nil)
+
+	err := ce.cmdBlenderRender(ctx, zerolog.Nop(), taskID, cmd)
+	assert.Equal(t, ErrNoExecCmd, err, "nil *exec.Cmd should result in ErrNoExecCmd")
+}