diff --git a/qa/tasks/cephfs/mount.py b/qa/tasks/cephfs/mount.py
index d3cb0a429ed..03fb38cf60e 100644
--- a/qa/tasks/cephfs/mount.py
+++ b/qa/tasks/cephfs/mount.py
@@ -194,15 +194,49 @@ class CephFSMount(object):
         return six.ensure_str(p.stdout.getvalue().strip())
 
     def run_shell(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True,
-                  omit_sudo=True):
-        if isinstance(args, str):
-            args = args.split()
+                  cwd=None, omit_sudo=True):
+        args = args.split() if isinstance(args, str) else args
+        # XXX: all commands ran with CephFS mount as CWD must be executed with
+        #  superuser privileges when tests are being run using teuthology.
+        if args[0] != 'sudo':
+            args.insert(0, 'sudo')
+        if not cwd:
+            cwd = self.mountpoint
 
-        args = ["cd", self.mountpoint, run.Raw('&&'), "sudo"] + args
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, stdout=StringIO(),
-                                      stderr=StringIO(), wait=wait,
-                                      stdin=stdin, check_status=check_status,
-                                      omit_sudo=omit_sudo)
+        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, stdin=stdin, wait=wait,
+                                      stdout=BytesIO(), stderr=BytesIO(),
+                                      cwd=cwd, check_status=check_status)
+
+    def run_as_user(self, args, user, wait=True, stdin=None,
+                    check_status=True, cwd=None):
+        if isinstance(args, str):
+            args = 'sudo -u %s -s /bin/bash -c %s' % (user, args)
+        elif isinstance(args, list):
+            cmdlist = args
+            cmd = ''
+            for i in cmdlist:
+                cmd = cmd + i + ' '
+            args = ['sudo', '-u', user, '-s', '/bin/bash', '-c']
+            args.append(cmd)
+        if not cwd:
+            cwd = self.mountpoint
+
+        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
+                                      stdout=BytesIO(), stderr=BytesIO(),
+                                      check_status=check_status, cwd=cwd)
+
+    def run_as_root(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True,
+                    cwd=None):
+        if isinstance(args, str):
+            args = 'sudo ' + args
+        if isinstance(args, list):
+            args.insert(0, 'sudo')
+        if not cwd:
+            cwd = self.mountpoint
+
+        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
+                                      stdout=BytesIO(), stderr=BytesIO(),
+                                      check_status=check_status, cwd=cwd)
 
     def open_no_data(self, basename):
         """
diff --git a/qa/tasks/vstart_runner.py b/qa/tasks/vstart_runner.py
index 919ac92c58b..f19cd112aa5 100644
--- a/qa/tasks/vstart_runner.py
+++ b/qa/tasks/vstart_runner.py
@@ -512,7 +512,6 @@ def safe_kill(pid):
         else:
             raise
 
-
 class LocalKernelMount(KernelMount):
     def __init__(self, ctx, test_dir, client_id):
         super(LocalKernelMount, self).__init__(ctx, test_dir, client_id, LocalRemote(), None, None, None)
@@ -532,67 +531,6 @@ class LocalKernelMount(KernelMount):
         else:
             return keyring_path
 
-    def run_shell(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True,
-                  omit_sudo=False):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      stdin=stdin, check_status=check_status,
-                                      omit_sudo=omit_sudo)
-
-    def run_as_user(self, args, user, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        if isinstance(args, str):
-            args = 'sudo -u %s -s /bin/bash -c %s' % (user, args)
-        elif isinstance(args, list):
-            cmdlist = args
-            cmd = ''
-            for i in cmdlist:
-                cmd = cmd + i + ' '
-            args = ['sudo', '-u', user, '-s', '/bin/bash', '-c']
-            args.append(cmd)
-
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      check_status=check_status, stdin=stdin,
-                                      omit_sudo=False)
-
-    def run_as_root(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        if isinstance(args, str):
-            args = 'sudo ' + args
-        if isinstance(args, list):
-            args.insert(0, 'sudo')
-
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      check_status=check_status,
-                                      omit_sudo=False)
-
-    def testcmd(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, omit_sudo=False):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_shell(args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin, check_status=False,
-                              omit_sudo=omit_sudo)
-
-    def testcmd_as_user(self, args, user, wait=True, stdin=None):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_as_user(args, user=user, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
-                                check_status=False)
-
-    def testcmd_as_root(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_as_root(args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
-                                check_status=False)
-
     def setupfs(self, name=None):
         if name is None and self.fs is not None:
             # Previous mount existed, reuse the old name
@@ -721,66 +659,6 @@ class LocalFuseMount(FuseMount):
         # to avoid assumptions about daemons' pwd
         return os.path.abspath("./client.{0}.keyring".format(self.client_id))
 
-    def run_shell(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True, omit_sudo=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      stdin=stdin, check_status=check_status,
-                                      omit_sudo=omit_sudo)
-
-    def run_as_user(self, args, user, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        if isinstance(args, str):
-            args = 'sudo -u %s -s /bin/bash -c %s' % (user, args)
-        elif isinstance(args, list):
-            cmdlist = args
-            cmd = ''
-            for i in cmdlist:
-                cmd = cmd + i + ' '
-            args = ['sudo', '-u', user, '-s', '/bin/bash', '-c']
-            args.append(cmd)
-
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      check_status=check_status, stdin=stdin,
-                                      omit_sudo=False)
-
-    def run_as_root(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, check_status=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        if isinstance(args, str):
-            args = 'sudo ' + args
-        if isinstance(args, list):
-            args.insert(0, 'sudo')
-
-        return self.client_remote.run(args=args, wait=wait, cwd=self.mountpoint,
-                                      check_status=check_status,
-                                      omit_sudo=False)
-
-    def testcmd(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None, omit_sudo=True):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_shell(args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin, check_status=False,
-                              omit_sudo=omit_sudo)
-
-    def testcmd_as_user(self, args, user, wait=True, stdin=None):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_as_user(args, user=user, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
-                                check_status=False)
-
-    def testcmd_as_root(self, args, wait=True, stdin=None):
-        # FIXME maybe should add a pwd arg to teuthology.orchestra so that
-        # the "cd foo && bar" shenanigans isn't needed to begin with and
-        # then we wouldn't have to special case this
-        return self.run_as_root(args, wait=wait, stdin=stdin,
-                                check_status=False)
-
     def setupfs(self, name=None):
         if name is None and self.fs is not None:
             # Previous mount existed, reuse the old name