diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/fetch_strategy.py b/lib/spack/spack/fetch_strategy.py
index a7b3d25043..a922d9caf4 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/fetch_strategy.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/fetch_strategy.py
@@ -773,8 +773,7 @@ def git(self):
             # Disable advice for a quieter fetch
             # https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/1.7.2.txt
             if self.git_version >= spack.version.Version("1.7.2"):
-                self._git.add_default_arg("-c")
-                self._git.add_default_arg("advice.detachedHead=false")
+                self._git.add_default_arg("-c", "advice.detachedHead=false")
 
             # If the user asked for insecure fetching, make that work
             # with git as well.
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
index 48dca0ffa3..3aea141d87 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ def __init__(self, name):
         if not self.exe:
             raise ProcessError("Cannot construct executable for '%s'" % name)
 
-    def add_default_arg(self, arg):
-        """Add a default argument to the command."""
-        self.exe.append(arg)
+    def add_default_arg(self, *args):
+        """Add default argument(s) to the command."""
+        self.exe.extend(args)
 
     def add_default_env(self, key, value):
         """Set an environment variable when the command is run.
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/git.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/git.py
index ceb0013412..39efdda9c3 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/git.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/git.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ def git(required: bool = False):
     # If we're running under pytest, add this to ignore the fix for CVE-2022-39253 in
     # git 2.38.1+. Do this in one place; we need git to do this in all parts of Spack.
     if git and "pytest" in sys.modules:
-        git.add_default_arg("-c")
-        git.add_default_arg("protocol.file.allow=always")
+        git.add_default_arg("-c", "protocol.file.allow=always")
 
     return git
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-oneapi-compilers/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-oneapi-compilers/package.py
index 5545053cc8..84b65a5761 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-oneapi-compilers/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/intel-oneapi-compilers/package.py
@@ -226,8 +226,7 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
     def inject_rpaths(self):
         # Sets rpath so the compilers can work without setting LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
         patchelf = which("patchelf")
-        patchelf.add_default_arg("--set-rpath")
-        patchelf.add_default_arg(":".join(self._ld_library_path()))
+        patchelf.add_default_arg("--set-rpath", ":".join(self._ld_library_path()))
         for pd in ["bin", "lib", join_path("compiler", "lib", "intel64_lin")]:
             for file in find(self.component_prefix.linux.join(pd), "*", recursive=False):
                 # Try to patch all files, patchelf will do nothing and fail if file
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-installer/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-installer/package.py
index 30a4a62072..1bedecf074 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-installer/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-installer/package.py
@@ -40,6 +40,5 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
 
     def setup_dependent_package(self, module, dependent_spec):
         installer = dependent_spec["python"].command
-        installer.add_default_arg("-m")
-        installer.add_default_arg("installer")
+        installer.add_default_arg("-m", "installer")
         setattr(module, "installer", installer)
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-pip/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-pip/package.py
index dfa85d55bc..d92a53671e 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-pip/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-pip/package.py
@@ -110,6 +110,5 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
 
     def setup_dependent_package(self, module, dependent_spec):
         pip = dependent_spec["python"].command
-        pip.add_default_arg("-m")
-        pip.add_default_arg("pip")
+        pip.add_default_arg("-m", "pip")
         setattr(module, "pip", pip)