diff --git a/git-p4.py b/git-p4.py
index 41a77e6648ddad9a7599452bf361fd13ff4dcf88..ca6bb95c573608f8477ed7f3388c5df1e63f8041 100755
--- a/git-p4.py
+++ b/git-p4.py
@@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ def edit_template(self, template_file):
             editor = os.environ.get("P4EDITOR")
         else:
             editor = read_pipe("git var GIT_EDITOR").strip()
-        system([editor, template_file])
+        system(["sh", "-c", ('%s "$@"' % editor), editor, template_file])
 
         # If the file was not saved, prompt to see if this patch should
         # be skipped.  But skip this verification step if configured so.
diff --git a/t/t9803-git-p4-shell-metachars.sh b/t/t9803-git-p4-shell-metachars.sh
index fbacff34fed6607ec3d0470a28a9fde31bfa7c0c..d950c7d665498c484f83d127cd2363def5169a89 100755
--- a/t/t9803-git-p4-shell-metachars.sh
+++ b/t/t9803-git-p4-shell-metachars.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ test_expect_success 'shell metachars in filenames' '
 		echo f2 >"file with spaces" &&
 		git add "file with spaces" &&
 		git commit -m "add files" &&
-		P4EDITOR=touch git p4 submit
+		P4EDITOR="test-chmtime +5" git p4 submit
 	) &&
 	(
 		cd "$cli" &&
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ test_expect_success 'deleting with shell metachars' '
 		git rm foo\$bar &&
 		git rm file\ with\ spaces &&
 		git commit -m "remove files" &&
-		P4EDITOR=touch git p4 submit
+		P4EDITOR="test-chmtime +5" git p4 submit
 	) &&
 	(
 		cd "$cli" &&
diff --git a/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh b/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
index 89311886db168e6613fa98d9c7a340d460435585..5fbf904dc8f4df7de522d0eecbca133d7299259d 100755
--- a/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
+++ b/t/t9805-git-p4-skip-submit-edit.sh
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ test_expect_success 'no config, edited' '
 		cd "$git" &&
 		echo line >>file1 &&
 		git commit -a -m "change 5" &&
-		P4EDITOR="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/ed.sh" &&
+		P4EDITOR="\"$TRASH_DIRECTORY/ed.sh\"" &&
 		export P4EDITOR &&
 		git p4 submit &&
 		p4 changes //depot/... >wc &&
diff --git a/t/t9813-git-p4-preserve-users.sh b/t/t9813-git-p4-preserve-users.sh
index 166b840bfae01d65e02d9ac7f7187142829d4f5f..0fe23128070745750b54843bfb05a7822f41c285 100755
--- a/t/t9813-git-p4-preserve-users.sh
+++ b/t/t9813-git-p4-preserve-users.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ test_expect_success 'preserve users' '
 		git commit --author "Alice <alice@example.com>" -m "a change by alice" file1 &&
 		git commit --author "Bob <bob@example.com>" -m "a change by bob" file2 &&
 		git config git-p4.skipSubmitEditCheck true &&
-		P4EDITOR=touch P4USER=alice P4PASSWD=secret git p4 commit --preserve-user &&
+		P4EDITOR="test-chmtime +5" P4USER=alice P4PASSWD=secret &&
+		export P4EDITOR P4USER P4PASSWD &&
+		git p4 commit --preserve-user &&
 		p4_check_commit_author file1 alice &&
 		p4_check_commit_author file2 bob
 	)
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ test_expect_success 'refuse to preserve users without perms' '
 		git config git-p4.skipSubmitEditCheck true &&
 		echo "username-noperms: a change by alice" >>file1 &&
 		git commit --author "Alice <alice@example.com>" -m "perms: a change by alice" file1 &&
-		P4EDITOR=touch P4USER=bob P4PASSWD=secret &&
+		P4EDITOR="test-chmtime +5" P4USER=bob P4PASSWD=secret &&
 		export P4EDITOR P4USER P4PASSWD &&
 		test_must_fail git p4 commit --preserve-user &&
 		! git diff --exit-code HEAD..p4/master
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ test_expect_success 'preserve user where author is unknown to p4' '
 		git commit --author "Bob <bob@example.com>" -m "preserve: a change by bob" file1 &&
 		echo "username-unknown: a change by charlie" >>file1 &&
 		git commit --author "Charlie <charlie@example.com>" -m "preserve: a change by charlie" file1 &&
-		P4EDITOR=touch P4USER=alice P4PASSWD=secret &&
+		P4EDITOR="test-chmtime +5" P4USER=alice P4PASSWD=secret &&
 		export P4EDITOR P4USER P4PASSWD &&
 		test_must_fail git p4 commit --preserve-user &&
 		! git diff --exit-code HEAD..p4/master &&
diff --git a/t/t9820-git-p4-editor-handling.sh b/t/t9820-git-p4-editor-handling.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6dc6df032ec0c15b39dccd24ade52580fc115add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t9820-git-p4-editor-handling.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git p4 handling of EDITOR'
+
+. ./lib-git-p4.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'start p4d' '
+	start_p4d
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'init depot' '
+	(
+		cd "$cli" &&
+		echo file1 >file1 &&
+		p4 add file1 &&
+		p4 submit -d "file1"
+	)
+'
+
+# Check that the P4EDITOR argument can be given command-line
+# options, which git-p4 will then pass through to the shell.
+test_expect_success 'EDITOR with options' '
+	git p4 clone --dest="$git" //depot &&
+	test_when_finished cleanup_git &&
+	(
+		cd "$git" &&
+		echo change >file1 &&
+		git commit -m "change" file1 &&
+		P4EDITOR=": >\"$git/touched\" && test-chmtime +5" git p4 submit &&
+		test_path_is_file "$git/touched"
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'kill p4d' '
+	kill_p4d
+'
+
+test_done