diff --git a/backup.sh b/backup.sh
index 7f6de6c..3863fa8 100755
--- a/backup.sh
+++ b/backup.sh
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ test_nonexistent_link "$latest_link" "$message" "$host" "$user" "$port"
 [ ! -z $user ] && remote_prefix="$user@"
 [ ! -z $host ] && remote_prefix="$remote_prefix$host:"
 
-[ ! -z $port ] && rsync_port="--rsh='ssh -p$port'"
-
 index=0
 source_path="$(dequote_string "$(get_list_item "$source_paths" "$index")")"
 while [ "$source_path" != "null" ]; do
@@ -77,10 +75,17 @@ while [ "$source_path" != "null" ]; do
     [ -z "$dry_run" ] && create_directory "$destination" "$host" "$user" "$port"
     source="$source_root/$source_suffix"
 
-    rsync -aE --progress --delete $dry_run $rsync_port \
-        --link-dest "$latest_link/$backup_path_suffix" \
-        "$source" \
-        "$remote_prefix$destination"
+    if [ -z "$port" ]; then
+        rsync -aE --progress --delete $dry_run \
+            --link-dest "$latest_link/$backup_path_suffix" \
+            "$source" \
+            "$remote_prefix$destination"
+    else
+        rsync -aE --progress --delete $dry_run --rsh="ssh -p $port" \
+            --link-dest "$latest_link/$backup_path_suffix" \
+            "$source" \
+            "$remote_prefix$destination"
+    fi
 
     index=$((index + 1))
     source_path="$(dequote_string "$(get_list_item "$source_paths" "$index")")"
diff --git a/restore.sh b/restore.sh
index 4f3a28a..d51b528 100755
--- a/restore.sh
+++ b/restore.sh
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ restore_root=$(trim_right_slash "$restore_root")
 [ ! -z $user ] && remote_prefix="$user@"
 [ ! -z $host ] && remote_prefix="$remote_prefix$host:"
 
-[ ! -z $port ] && rsync_port="--rsh='ssh -p$port'"
-
 index=0
 restore_path="$(dequote_string "$(get_list_item "$restore_paths" "$index")")"
 while [ "$restore_path" != "null" ]; do
@@ -81,9 +79,17 @@ while [ "$restore_path" != "null" ]; do
 
     if [ ! -z "$backup_copy_path" ]; then
         restore_backup_dir="$backup_copy_path/$datetime_of_snapshot/$restore_path_suffix"
-        rsync -aE --progress $rsync_port --delete $dry_run --backup --backup-dir "$restore_backup_dir" "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        if [ -z "$port" ]; then
+            rsync -aE --progress --delete $dry_run --backup --backup-dir "$restore_backup_dir" "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        else
+            rsync -aE --progress --rsh="ssh -p $port" --delete $dry_run --backup --backup-dir "$restore_backup_dir" "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        fi
     else
-        rsync -aE --progress $rsync_port --delete $dry_run "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        if [ -z "$port" ]; then
+            rsync -aE --progress --delete $dry_run "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        else
+            rsync -aE --progress --rsh="ssh -p $port" --delete $dry_run "$source_path" "$target_dir"
+        fi
     fi
 
     index=$((index + 1))
diff --git a/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_host_only_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh b/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_host_only_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
index 9b6f046..6f743e3 100755
--- a/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_host_only_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
+++ b/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_host_only_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ exit_code="$?"
 test_results="$exit_code"
 
 # AND blubee prepends the remote user and host to the backup destination
-remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "rsync.*--rsh='ssh -p$port'.*$host:$backup_dir/$name/[0-9]\{8\}_[0-9]\{6\}" | wc -l)
+remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "rsync.*--rsh=ssh -p $port.*$host:$backup_dir/$name/[0-9]\{8\}_[0-9]\{6\}" | wc -l)
 test_results="$test_results $(assert_equal_numbers $remote_calls 4)"
 
 # AND blubee has created the expected folders for backup on the remote
diff --git a/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh b/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
index 8bef04c..c81c2de 100755
--- a/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
+++ b/tests/create_backups.tests/remote_destination_single_backup_w_custom_port.test.sh
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ exit_code="$?"
 test_results="$exit_code"
 
 # AND blubee prepends the remote user and host to the backup destination
-remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "rsync.*--rsh='ssh -p$port'.*$user@$host:$backup_dir/$name/[0-9]\{8\}_[0-9]\{6\}" | wc -l)
+remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "rsync.*--rsh=ssh -p $port.*$user@$host:$backup_dir/$name/[0-9]\{8\}_[0-9]\{6\}" | wc -l)
 test_results="$test_results $(assert_equal_numbers $remote_calls 4)"
 
 # AND blubee has created the expected folders for backup on the remote
diff --git a/tests/restore_backups.tests/remote_destination_restore_w_custom_port.test.sh b/tests/restore_backups.tests/remote_destination_restore_w_custom_port.test.sh
index f09d9c4..4c0b148 100755
--- a/tests/restore_backups.tests/remote_destination_restore_w_custom_port.test.sh
+++ b/tests/restore_backups.tests/remote_destination_restore_w_custom_port.test.sh
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "ssh.*-p$port.*$user@$host.*mkdir " | wc
 test_results="$test_results $(assert_greater_than $remote_calls 0)"
 
 # THEN blubee sets custom port to the rsync command
-remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "--rsh='ssh -p$port'" | wc -l)
+remote_calls=$(echo "$output" | grep -e "--rsh=ssh -p $port" | wc -l)
 test_results="$test_results $(assert_equal_numbers $remote_calls 4)"
 
 echo "remote_destination_restore.test.sh\nRESULTS:"