diff --git a/Lib/platform.py b/Lib/platform.py
index 985a9f85cb0..6776a2515db 100755
--- a/Lib/platform.py
+++ b/Lib/platform.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ __copyright__ = """
 
 __version__ = '1.0.7'
 
-import sys, os, re
+import sys, os, re, subprocess
 
 ### Globals & Constants
 
@@ -995,13 +995,15 @@ def _syscmd_file(target,default=''):
     if sys.platform in ('dos','win32','win16','os2'):
         # XXX Others too ?
         return default
-    target = _follow_symlinks(target).replace('"', '\\"')
+    target = _follow_symlinks(target)
     try:
-        f = os.popen('file -b "%s" 2> %s' % (target, DEV_NULL))
+        with open(DEV_NULL) as dev_null:
+            proc = subprocess.Popen(['file', '-b', '--', target],
+                                    stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=dev_null)
     except (AttributeError,os.error):
         return default
-    output = f.read().strip()
-    rc = f.close()
+    output = proc.stdout.read()
+    rc = proc.wait()
     if not output or rc:
         return default
     else:
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index c42e32a1671..ca7431b2d18 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ Ben Bell
 Thomas Bellman
 Alexander “Саша” Belopolsky
 Eli Bendersky
+David Benjamin
 Andrew Bennetts
 Andy Bensky
 Bennett Benson
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index e7fc4f8ea4e..bc5470aac90 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ Library
 - Issue #15509: webbrowser.UnixBrowser no longer passes empty arguments to
   Popen when %action substitutions produce empty strings.
 
+- Issue #16112: platform.architecture does not correctly escape argument to
+  /usr/bin/file.  Patch by David Benjamin.
+
 - Issue #12776,#11839: call argparse type function (specified by add_argument)
   only once. Before, the type function was called twice in the case where the
   default was specified and the argument was given as well.  This was