diff --git a/src/pylorax/__init__.py b/src/pylorax/__init__.py
index 850350e1..6120dc3d 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ from treebuilder import RuntimeBuilder, TreeBuilder
 from buildstamp import BuildStamp
 from treeinfo import TreeInfo
 from discinfo import DiscInfo
-from executils import execWithRedirect
+from executils import runcmd
 
 class ArchData(DataHolder):
     lib64_arches = ("x86_64", "ppc64", "sparc64", "s390x", "ia64")
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class Lorax(BaseLoraxClass):
 
         if domacboot:
             try:
-                execWithRedirect("rpm", ["-q", "hfsplus-tools"], raise_err=True)
+                runcmd(["rpm", "-q", "hfsplus-tools"])
             except CalledProcessError:
                 logger.critical("you need to install hfsplus-tools to create mac images")
                 sys.exit(1)
diff --git a/src/pylorax/executils.py b/src/pylorax/executils.py
index 1e8628ea..6da74c8e 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/executils.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/executils.py
@@ -407,4 +407,15 @@ def execConsole():
     except OSError as e:
         raise RuntimeError, "Error running /bin/sh: " + e.strerror
 
+def runcmd(cmd, **kwargs):
+    """ run execWithRedirect with raise_err=True
+    """
+    kwargs["raise_err"] = True
+    return execWithRedirect(cmd[0], cmd[1:], **kwargs)
+
+def runcmd_output(cmd, **kwargs):
+    """ run execWithCapture with raise_err=True
+    """
+    kwargs["raise_err"] = True
+    return execWithCapture(cmd[0], cmd[1:], **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/src/pylorax/imgutils.py b/src/pylorax/imgutils.py
index cbd4de88..baac2b9a 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/imgutils.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/imgutils.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from time import sleep
 
 from pylorax.sysutils import cpfile
 from pylorax.executils import execWithRedirect, execWithCapture
+from pylorax.executils import runcmd, runcmd_output
 
 ######## Functions for making container images (cpio, squashfs) ##########
 
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ def mksparse(outfile, size):
 def loop_attach(outfile):
     '''Attach a loop device to the given file. Return the loop device name.
     Raises CalledProcessError if losetup fails.'''
-    dev = execWithCapture("losetup", ["--find", "--show", outfile], raise_err=True)
+    dev = runcmd_output(["losetup", "--find", "--show", outfile])
     return dev.strip()
 
 def loop_detach(loopdev):
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ def loop_detach(loopdev):
 def get_loop_name(path):
     '''Return the loop device associated with the path.
     Raises RuntimeError if more than one loop is associated'''
-    buf = execWithCapture("losetup", ["-j", path], raise_err=True)
+    buf = runcmd_output(["losetup", "-j", path])
     if len(buf.splitlines()) > 1:
         # there should never be more than one loop device listed
         raise RuntimeError("multiple loops associated with %s" % path)
@@ -92,8 +93,8 @@ def dm_attach(dev, size, name=None):
     raises CalledProcessError if dmsetup fails.'''
     if name is None:
         name = tempfile.mktemp(prefix="lorax.imgutils.", dir="")
-    execWithRedirect("dmsetup", ["create", name, "--table",
-                                 "0 %i linear %s 0" % (size/512, dev)], raise_err=True)
+    runcmd(["dmsetup", "create", name, "--table",
+                       "0 %i linear %s 0" % (size/512, dev)])
     return name
 
 def dm_detach(dev):
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ def mount(dev, opts="", mnt=None):
     if opts:
         mount += ["-o", opts]
     mount += [dev, mnt]
-    execWithRedirect(mount[0], mount[1:], raise_err=True)
+    runcmd(mount)
     return mnt
 
 def umount(mnt,  lazy=False, maxretry=3, retrysleep=1.0):
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ def umount(mnt,  lazy=False, maxretry=3, retrysleep=1.0):
     count = 0
     while maxretry > 0:
         try:
-            rv = execWithRedirect(umount[0], umount[1:], raise_err=True)
+            rv = runcmd(umount)
         except CalledProcessError:
             count += 1
             if count == maxretry:
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ def copytree(src, dest, preserve=True):
     logger.debug("copytree %s %s", src, dest)
     cp = ["cp", "-a"] if preserve else ["cp", "-R", "-L"]
     cp += [".", os.path.abspath(dest)]
-    execWithRedirect(cp[0], cp[1:], cwd=src, raise_err=True)
+    runcmd(cp, cwd=src)
 
 def do_grafts(grafts, dest, preserve=True):
     '''Copy each of the items listed in grafts into dest.
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ class PartitionMount(object):
         # kpartx -p p -v -a /tmp/diskV2DiCW.im
         # add map loop2p1 (253:2): 0 3481600 linear /dev/loop2 2048
         # add map loop2p2 (253:3): 0 614400 linear /dev/loop2 3483648
-        kpartx_output = execWithCapture("kpartx", ["-v", "-p", "p", "-a", self.disk_img], raise_err=True)
+        kpartx_output = runcmd_output(["kpartx", "-v", "-p", "p", "-a", self.disk_img])
         logger.debug(kpartx_output)
 
         # list of (deviceName, sizeInBytes)
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ def mkfsimage(fstype, rootdir, outfile, size=None, mkfsargs=[], mountargs="", gr
         size = estimate_size(rootdir, graft, fstype)
     with LoopDev(outfile, size) as loopdev:
         try:
-            execWithRedirect("mkfs.%s" % fstype, mkfsargs + [loopdev], raise_err=True)
+            runcmd(["mkfs.%s" % fstype] + mkfsargs + [loopdev])
         except CalledProcessError as e:
             logger.error("mkfs exited with a non-zero return code: %d" % e.returncode)
             logger.error(e.output)
diff --git a/src/pylorax/ltmpl.py b/src/pylorax/ltmpl.py
index d23de5c2..a391a903 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/ltmpl.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/ltmpl.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 from sysutils import joinpaths, cpfile, mvfile, replace, remove
 from yumhelper import * # Lorax*Callback classes
 from base import DataHolder
-from pylorax.executils import execWithRedirect, execWithCapture
+from pylorax.executils import runcmd, runcmd_output
 
 from mako.lookup import TemplateLookup
 from mako.exceptions import text_error_template
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ class LoraxTemplateRunner(object):
         cmd = ["gconftool-2", "--direct",
                     "--config-source=xml:readwrite:%s" % outfile,
                     "--set", "--type", keytype, path, value]
-        execWithRedirect(cmd[0], cmd[1:], raise_err=True)
+        runcmd(cmd)
 
     def log(self, msg):
         '''
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ class LoraxTemplateRunner(object):
             cmd = cmd[1:]
 
         try:
-            output = execWithCapture(cmd[0], cmd[1:], cwd=cwd, raise_err=True)
+            output = runcmd_output(cmd, cwd=cwd)
             if output:
                 logger.debug('command output:\n%s', output)
             logger.debug("command finished successfully")
@@ -552,6 +552,6 @@ class LoraxTemplateRunner(object):
         # XXX for some reason 'systemctl enable/disable' always returns 1
         try:
             cmd = systemctl + units
-            execWithRedirect(cmd[0], cmd[1:], raise_err=True)
+            runcmd(cmd)
         except CalledProcessError:
             pass
diff --git a/src/pylorax/sysutils.py b/src/pylorax/sysutils.py
index 1649d582..6ce4c93e 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/sysutils.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/sysutils.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import glob
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 
-from pylorax.executils import execWithRedirect
+from pylorax.executils import runcmd
 
 def joinpaths(*args, **kwargs):
     path = os.path.sep.join(args)
@@ -106,5 +106,5 @@ def remove(target):
         os.unlink(target)
 
 def linktree(src, dst):
-    execWithRedirect("/bin/cp", ["-al", src, dst], raise_err=True)
+    runcmd(["/bin/cp", "-al", src, dst])
 
diff --git a/src/pylorax/treebuilder.py b/src/pylorax/treebuilder.py
index a72ffc12..95f4a051 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/treebuilder.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/treebuilder.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from shutil import copytree, copy2
 from base import DataHolder
 from ltmpl import LoraxTemplateRunner
 import imgutils
-from pylorax.executils import execWithRedirect, execWithCapture
+from pylorax.executils import runcmd, runcmd_output
 
 templatemap = {
     'i386':    'x86.tmpl',
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ templatemap = {
 
 def generate_module_info(moddir, outfile=None):
     def module_desc(mod):
-        output = execWithCapture("modinfo", ["-F", "description", mod], raise_err=True)
+        output = runcmd_output(["modinfo", "-F", "description", mod])
         return output.strip()
     def read_module_set(name):
         return set(l.strip() for l in open(joinpaths(moddir,name)) if ".ko" in l)
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class RuntimeBuilder(object):
         for kver in os.listdir(moddir):
             ksyms = joinpaths(root, "boot/System.map-%s" % kver)
             logger.info("doing depmod and module-info for %s", kver)
-            execWithRedirect("depmod", ["-a", "-F", ksyms, "-b", root, kver], raise_err=True)
+            runcmd(["depmod", "-a", "-F", ksyms, "-b", root, kver])
             generate_module_info(moddir+kver, outfile=moddir+"module-info")
 
     def create_runtime(self, outfile="/tmp/squashfs.img", compression="xz", compressargs=[], size=1):
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class RuntimeBuilder(object):
         with imgutils.LoopDev( joinpaths(workdir, "LiveOS/rootfs.img") ) as loopdev:
             with imgutils.Mount(loopdev) as mnt:
                 cmd = [ "setfiles", "-e", "/proc", "-e", "/sys", "-e", "/dev", "-e", "/selinux", "/etc/selinux/targeted/contexts/files/file_contexts", "/"]
-                execWithRedirect(cmd[0], cmd[1:], root=mnt, raise_err=True)
+                runcmd(cmd, root=mnt)
 
         # squash the live rootfs and clean up workdir
         imgutils.mksquashfs(workdir, outfile, compression, compressargs)
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class TreeBuilder(object):
                 initrd = joinpaths(self.vars.inroot, kernel.initrd.path)
                 os.rename(initrd, initrd + backup)
             cmd = dracut + [kernel.initrd.path, kernel.version]
-            execWithRedirect(cmd[0], cmd[1:], root=self.vars.inroot, raise_err=True)
+            runcmd(cmd, root=self.vars.inroot)
         os.unlink(joinpaths(self.vars.inroot,"/proc/modules"))
 
     def build(self):
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ class TreeBuilder(object):
         for section, data in self.treeinfo_data.items():
             if 'boot.iso' in data:
                 iso = joinpaths(self.vars.outroot, data['boot.iso'])
-                execWithRedirect("implantisomd5", [iso], raise_err=True)
+                runcmd(["implantisomd5", iso])
 
     @property
     def dracut_hooks_path(self):