diff --git a/test/server/options_impl_test.cc b/test/server/options_impl_test.cc
index 5fd91c7335e5..d8a3f7e211f6 100644
--- a/test/server/options_impl_test.cc
+++ b/test/server/options_impl_test.cc
@@ -1,55 +1,41 @@
+#include "common/common/utility.h"
 #include "server/options_impl.h"
 
-TEST(OptionsImplDeathTest, HotRestartVersion) {
+// Do the ugly work of turning a std::string into a char** and create an OptionsImpl. Args are
+// separated by a single space: no fancy quoting or escaping.
+std::unique_ptr<OptionsImpl> createOptionsImpl(const std::string& args) {
+  std::vector<std::string> words = StringUtil::split(args, ' ');
   std::vector<const char*> argv;
-  argv.push_back("envoy");
-  argv.push_back("--hot-restart-version");
-  EXPECT_EXIT(OptionsImpl(argv.size(), const_cast<char**>(&argv[0]), "1", spdlog::level::warn),
-              testing::ExitedWithCode(0), "");
+  for (const std::string& s : words) {
+    argv.push_back(s.c_str());
+  }
+  return std::unique_ptr<OptionsImpl>(
+      new OptionsImpl(argv.size(), const_cast<char**>(&argv[0]), "1", spdlog::level::warn));
+}
+
+TEST(OptionsImplDeathTest, HotRestartVersion) {
+  EXPECT_EXIT(createOptionsImpl("envoy --hot-restart-version"), testing::ExitedWithCode(0), "");
 }
 
 TEST(OptionsImplTest, All) {
-  std::vector<const char*> argv;
-  argv.push_back("envoy");
-  argv.push_back("--concurrency");
-  argv.push_back("2");
-  argv.push_back("-c");
-  argv.push_back("hello");
-  argv.push_back("--restart-epoch");
-  argv.push_back("1");
-  argv.push_back("-l");
-  argv.push_back("info");
-  argv.push_back("--service-cluster");
-  argv.push_back("cluster");
-  argv.push_back("--service-node");
-  argv.push_back("node");
-  argv.push_back("--service-zone");
-  argv.push_back("zone");
-  argv.push_back("--file-flush-interval-msec");
-  argv.push_back("9000");
-  argv.push_back("--drain-time-s");
-  argv.push_back("60");
-  argv.push_back("--parent-shutdown-time-s");
-  argv.push_back("90");
-  OptionsImpl options(argv.size(), const_cast<char**>(&argv[0]), "1", spdlog::level::warn);
-  EXPECT_EQ(2U, options.concurrency());
-  EXPECT_EQ("hello", options.configPath());
-  EXPECT_EQ(1U, options.restartEpoch());
-  EXPECT_EQ(spdlog::level::info, options.logLevel());
-  EXPECT_EQ("cluster", options.serviceClusterName());
-  EXPECT_EQ("node", options.serviceNodeName());
-  EXPECT_EQ("zone", options.serviceZone());
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::milliseconds(9000), options.fileFlushIntervalMsec());
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(60), options.drainTime());
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(90), options.parentShutdownTime());
+  std::unique_ptr<OptionsImpl> options = createOptionsImpl(
+      "envoy --concurrency 2 -c hello --restart-epoch 1 -l info "
+      "--service-cluster cluster --service-node node --service-zone zone "
+      "--file-flush-interval-msec 9000 --drain-time-s 60 --parent-shutdown-time-s 90");
+  EXPECT_EQ(2U, options->concurrency());
+  EXPECT_EQ("hello", options->configPath());
+  EXPECT_EQ(1U, options->restartEpoch());
+  EXPECT_EQ(spdlog::level::info, options->logLevel());
+  EXPECT_EQ("cluster", options->serviceClusterName());
+  EXPECT_EQ("node", options->serviceNodeName());
+  EXPECT_EQ("zone", options->serviceZone());
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::milliseconds(9000), options->fileFlushIntervalMsec());
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(60), options->drainTime());
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(90), options->parentShutdownTime());
 }
 
 TEST(OptionsImplTest, DefaultParams) {
-  std::vector<const char*> argv;
-  argv.push_back("envoy");
-  argv.push_back("-c");
-  argv.push_back("hello");
-  OptionsImpl options(argv.size(), const_cast<char**>(&argv[0]), "1", spdlog::level::warn);
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(600), options.drainTime());
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(900), options.parentShutdownTime());
+  std::unique_ptr<OptionsImpl> options = createOptionsImpl("envoy -c hello");
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(600), options->drainTime());
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::chrono::seconds(900), options->parentShutdownTime());
 }