diff --git a/fixtures/echo b/fixtures/echo
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..cdfa972df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/echo
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+'use strict';
+console.log(process.argv.slice(2).join('\n'))
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9899d2c48..bb635fadf 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -15,7 +15,45 @@ const stdio = require('./lib/stdio');
 
 const TEN_MEGABYTES = 1000 * 1000 * 10;
 
-function handleArgs(command, args, options) {
+const SPACES_REGEXP = / +/g;
+
+// Allow spaces to be escaped by a backslash if not meant as a delimiter
+function handleEscaping(tokens, token, index) {
+	if (index === 0) {
+		return [token];
+	}
+
+	const previousToken = tokens[index - 1];
+
+	if (!previousToken.endsWith('\\')) {
+		return [...tokens, token];
+	}
+
+	return [...tokens.slice(0, index - 1), `${previousToken.slice(0, -1)} ${token}`];
+}
+
+function parseCommand(command, args = []) {
+	if (args.length !== 0) {
+		throw new Error('Arguments cannot be inside `command` when also specified as an array of strings');
+	}
+
+	const [file, ...extraArgs] = command
+		.trim()
+		.split(SPACES_REGEXP)
+		.reduce(handleEscaping, []);
+	return [file, extraArgs];
+}
+
+function handleArgs(command, args, options = {}) {
+	if (args && !Array.isArray(args)) {
+		options = args;
+		args = [];
+	}
+
+	if (!options.shell && command.includes(' ')) {
+		[command, args] = parseCommand(command, args);
+	}
+
 	const parsed = crossSpawn._parse(command, args, options);
 	command = parsed.command;
 	args = parsed.args;
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 3dccd8581..971fa6d9a 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 - [Executes locally installed binaries by name.](#preferlocal)
 - [Cleans up spawned processes when the parent process dies.](#cleanup)
 - [Adds an `.all` property](#execafile-arguments-options) with interleaved output from `stdout` and `stderr`, similar to what the terminal sees. [*(Async only)*](#execasyncfile-arguments-options)
+- [Can specify command and arguments as a single string without a shell](#execafile-arguments-options)
 
 
 ## Install
@@ -115,11 +116,20 @@ try {
 ## API
 
 ### execa(file, [arguments], [options])
+### execa(command, [options])
 
 Execute a file.
 
+Arguments can be specified in either:
+  - `arguments`: `execa('echo', ['unicorns'])`.
+  - `command`: `execa('echo unicorns')`.
+
+Arguments should not be escaped nor quoted. Exception: inside `command`, spaces can be escaped with a backslash.
+
 Think of this as a mix of `child_process.execFile` and `child_process.spawn`.
 
+As opposed to [`execa.shell()`](#execashellcommand-options), no shell interpreter (Bash, `cmd.exe`, etc.) is used, so shell features such as variables substitution (`echo $PATH`) are not allowed.
+
 Returns a [`child_process` instance](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_class_childprocess) which is enhanced to be a `Promise`.
 
 It exposes an additional `.all` stream, with `stdout` and `stderr` interleaved.
@@ -129,22 +139,25 @@ The spawned process can be canceled with the `.cancel()` method on the promise,
 The promise result is an `Object` with `stdout`, `stderr` and `all` properties.
 
 ### execa.stdout(file, [arguments], [options])
+### execa.stdout(command, [options])
 
 Same as `execa()`, but returns only `stdout`.
 
 ### execa.stderr(file, [arguments], [options])
+### execa.stderr(command, [options])
 
 Same as `execa()`, but returns only `stderr`.
 
 ### execa.shell(command, [options])
 
-Execute a command through the system shell. Prefer `execa()` whenever possible, as it's both faster and safer.
+Execute a command through the system shell. Prefer `execa()` whenever possible, as it's faster, safer and more cross-platform.
 
 Returns a [`child_process` instance](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_class_childprocess).
 
 The `child_process` instance is enhanced to also be promise for a result object with `stdout` and `stderr` properties.
 
 ### execa.sync(file, [arguments], [options])
+### execa.sync(command, [options])
 
 Execute a file synchronously.
 
@@ -154,7 +167,7 @@ It does not have the `.all` property that `execa()` has because the [underlying
 
 This method throws an `Error` if the command fails.
 
-### execa.shellSync(file, [options])
+### execa.shellSync(command, [options])
 
 Execute a command synchronously through the system shell.
 
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 07a3b0180..2c7e017dd 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -101,6 +101,40 @@ test('pass `stderr` to a file descriptor', async t => {
 	t.is(fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8'), 'foo bar\n');
 });
 
+test('allow string arguments', async t => {
+	const {stdout} = await execa('node fixtures/echo foo bar');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo\nbar');
+});
+
+test('allow string arguments in synchronous mode', t => {
+	const {stdout} = execa.sync('node fixtures/echo foo bar');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo\nbar');
+});
+
+test('forbid string arguments together with array arguments', t => {
+	t.throws(() => execa('node fixtures/echo foo bar', ['foo', 'bar']), /Arguments cannot be inside/);
+});
+
+test('ignore consecutive spaces in string arguments', async t => {
+	const {stdout} = await execa('node fixtures/echo foo    bar');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo\nbar');
+});
+
+test('escape other whitespaces in string arguments', async t => {
+	const {stdout} = await execa('node fixtures/echo foo\tbar');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo\tbar');
+});
+
+test('allow escaping spaces in string arguments', async t => {
+	const {stdout} = await execa('node fixtures/echo foo\\ bar');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo bar');
+});
+
+test('trim string arguments', async t => {
+	const {stdout} = await execa('  node fixtures/echo foo bar  ');
+	t.is(stdout, 'foo\nbar');
+});
+
 test('execa.shell()', async t => {
 	const {stdout} = await execa.shell('node fixtures/noop foo');
 	t.is(stdout, 'foo');