diff --git a/mysql/backup.pl b/mysql/backup.pl
index b69b0e718..d2b3b7e86 100755
--- a/mysql/backup.pl
+++ b/mysql/backup.pl
@@ -16,15 +16,9 @@ else {
 	$cmode = 0;
 	}
 
-if ($cmode) {
-	# Run and check before-backup command (for all DBs)
-	$bok = &execute_before(undef, STDOUT, 0, $config{'backup_'}, undef);
-	if (!$bok) {
-		$failure = "Before-backup command failed!\n";
-		$ex = 1;
-		goto EMAIL;
-		}
-	}
+$ex = 0;
+$email = $config{'backup_email_'.($all ? '' : $dbs[0])};
+$notify = $config{'backup_notify_'.($all ? '' : $dbs[0])};
 
 # Check if MySQL is running
 ($r, $out) = &is_mysql_running();
@@ -35,9 +29,16 @@ if (!$r) {
 	goto EMAIL;
 	}
 
-$ex = 0;
-$email = $config{'backup_email_'.($all ? '' : $dbs[0])};
-$notify = $config{'backup_notify_'.($all ? '' : $dbs[0])};
+if ($cmode) {
+	# Run and check before-backup command (for all DBs)
+	$bok = &execute_before(undef, STDOUT, 0, $config{'backup_'}, undef);
+	if (!$bok) {
+		$failure = "Before-backup command failed!\n";
+		$ex = 1;
+		goto EMAIL;
+		}
+	}
+
 foreach $db (@dbs) {
 	$sf = $all ? "" : $db;
 	if ($all) {
diff --git a/mysql/mysql-lib.pl b/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
index 8c5cf1e90..735f8b96a 100755
--- a/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
+++ b/mysql/mysql-lib.pl
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ sub is_mysql_running
 if ($driver_handle && !$config{'nodbi'}) {
 	local $main::error_must_die = 1;
 	local ($data, $rv);
-	eval { $data = &execute_sql_safe(undef, "select version()") };
+	eval { $data = &execute_sql_safe(undef, "select version()"); };
 	local $err = $@;
 	$err =~ s/\s+at\s+\S+\s+line.*$//;
 	if ($@ =~ /denied|password/i) {
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ if ($driver_handle && !$config{'nodbi'}) {
 	}
 
 # Fall back to mysqladmin command
-local $out = `"$config{'mysqladmin'}" $authstr status 2>&1`;
+local $out = &backquote_command(
+	"\"$config{'mysqladmin'}\" $authstr status 2>&1");
 local $rv = $out =~ /uptime/i ? 1 :
             $out =~ /denied|password/i ? -1 : 0;
 $out =~ s/^.*\Q$config{'mysqladmin'}\E\s*:\s*//;