diff --git a/spec/compiler/loader/spec_helper.cr b/spec/compiler/loader/spec_helper.cr
index 5b2a6454bfa1..c1b235eb207e 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/loader/spec_helper.cr
+++ b/spec/compiler/loader/spec_helper.cr
@@ -5,15 +5,16 @@ SPEC_CRYSTAL_LOADER_LIB_PATH = File.join(SPEC_TEMPFILE_PATH, "loader")
 def build_c_dynlib(c_filename, *, lib_name = nil, target_dir = SPEC_CRYSTAL_LOADER_LIB_PATH)
   o_filename = File.join(target_dir, Crystal::Loader.library_filename(lib_name || File.basename(c_filename, ".c")))
 
-  {% if flag?(:msvc) %}
-    o_basename = o_filename.rchop(".lib")
-    `#{ENV["CC"]? || "cl.exe"} /nologo /LD #{Process.quote(c_filename)} #{Process.quote("/Fo#{o_basename}")} #{Process.quote("/Fe#{o_basename}")}`
-  {% elsif flag?(:win32) && flag?(:gnu) %}
-    o_basename = o_filename.rchop(".a")
-    `#{ENV["CC"]? || "cc"} -shared -fvisibility=hidden #{Process.quote(c_filename)} -o #{Process.quote(o_basename + ".dll")} #{Process.quote("-Wl,--out-implib,#{o_basename}.a")}`
-  {% else %}
-    `#{ENV["CC"]? || "cc"} -shared -fvisibility=hidden #{Process.quote(c_filename)} -o #{Process.quote(o_filename)}`
-  {% end %}
+  status =
+    {% if flag?(:msvc) %}
+      o_basename = o_filename.rchop(".lib")
+      Process.run [ENV.fetch("CC", "cl.exe"), "/nologo", "/LD", c_filename, "/Fo#{o_basename}", "/Fe#{o_basename}"]
+    {% elsif flag?(:win32) && flag?(:gnu) %}
+      o_basename = o_filename.rchop(".a")
+      Process.run [ENV.fetch("CC", "cc"), "-shared", "-fvisibility=hidden", c_filename, "-o", "#{o_basename}.dll", "-Wl,--out-implib,#{o_basename}.a"]
+    {% else %}
+      Process.run [ENV.fetch("CC", "cc"), "-shared", "-fvisibility=hidden", c_filename, "-o", o_filename]
+    {% end %}
 
-  raise "BUG: failed to compile dynamic library" unless $?.success?
+  raise "BUG: failed to compile dynamic library" unless status.success?
 end
diff --git a/spec/support/tempfile.cr b/spec/support/tempfile.cr
index 61086a30494c..27acb5cdde59 100644
--- a/spec/support/tempfile.cr
+++ b/spec/support/tempfile.cr
@@ -66,29 +66,32 @@ def with_temp_executable(name, file = __FILE__, &)
 end
 
 def with_temp_c_object_file(c_code, *, filename = "temp_c", file = __FILE__, &)
-  # can't use backtick in interpreted code (#12241)
+  # can't spawn processes in interpreted code (#12241)
   pending_interpreted! "Unable to compile C code in interpreted code"
 
   obj_ext = {{ flag?(:msvc) ? ".obj" : ".o" }}
   with_tempfile("#{filename}.c", "#{filename}#{obj_ext}", file: file) do |c_filename, o_filename|
     File.write(c_filename, c_code)
 
-    {% if flag?(:msvc) %}
-      # following is based on `Crystal::Compiler#linker_command`
-      unless cl = ENV["CC"]?
-        cl = "cl.exe"
-        if msvc_path = Crystal::System::VisualStudio.find_latest_msvc_path
-          # we won't be cross-compiling the specs binaries, so host and target
-          # bits are identical
-          bits = {{ flag?(:bits64) ? "x64" : "x86" }}
-          cl = Process.quote(msvc_path.join("bin", "Host#{bits}", bits, cl).to_s)
+    status =
+      {% if flag?(:msvc) %}
+        # following is based on `Crystal::Compiler#linker_command`
+        cl = ENV.fetch("CC") do
+          if msvc_path = Crystal::System::VisualStudio.find_latest_msvc_path
+            # we won't be cross-compiling the specs binaries, so host and target
+            # bits are identical
+            bits = {{ flag?(:bits64) ? "x64" : "x86" }}
+            msvc_path.join("bin", "Host#{bits}", bits, "cl.exe").to_s
+          else
+            "cl.exe"
+          end
         end
-      end
-
-      `#{cl} /nologo /c /MD #{Process.quote(c_filename)} #{Process.quote("/Fo#{o_filename}")}`.should be_truthy
-    {% else %}
-      `#{ENV["CC"]? || "cc"} #{Process.quote(c_filename)} -c -o #{Process.quote(o_filename)}`.should be_truthy
-    {% end %}
+        Process.run [cl, "/nologo", "/c", "/MD", c_filename, "/Fo#{o_filename}"]
+      {% else %}
+        cc = ENV.fetch("CC", "cc")
+        Process.run [cc, c_filename, "-c", "-o", o_filename]
+      {% end %}
+    status.success?.should be_true
 
     yield o_filename
   end