diff --git a/status/alive-monitor.pl b/status/alive-monitor.pl
index e1ec1d3cc..a07ec8b39 100755
--- a/status/alive-monitor.pl
+++ b/status/alive-monitor.pl
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 sub get_alive_status
 {
-local $out = `uptime 2>/dev/null`;
+local $out = &backquote_command("uptime 2>/dev/null");
 return { 'up' => 1,
 	 'desc' => $out =~ /\s+up\s+([^,]+),/ ? &text('alive_up', "$1")
 					      : undef };