diff --git a/cmd/limactl/guest_install.go b/cmd/limactl/guest_install.go
index 79e3038be768..0b5d42365a15 100644
--- a/cmd/limactl/guest_install.go
+++ b/cmd/limactl/guest_install.go
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ func newGuestInstallCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	return guestInstallCommand
 }
 
+func runCmd(name string, flags []string, args ...string) error {
+	cmd := exec.Command(name, append(flags, args...)...)
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	logrus.Debugf("executing %v", cmd.Args)
+	return cmd.Run()
+}
+
 func guestInstallAction(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	instName := DefaultInstanceName
 	if len(args) > 0 {
@@ -61,20 +69,12 @@ func guestInstallAction(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	bin := prefix + "/bin/lima-guestagent"
 	logrus.Infof("Copying %q to %s", guestAgentBinary, hostname)
 	scpArgs := []string{guestAgentBinary, hostname + ":" + tmp}
-	scpCmd := exec.Command("scp", append(sshFlags, scpArgs...)...)
-	scpCmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-	scpCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-	logrus.Debugf("executing %v", scpCmd.Args)
-	if err := scpCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+	if err := runCmd("scp", sshFlags, scpArgs...); err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	logrus.Infof("Installing %s to %s", tmp, bin)
 	sshArgs := []string{hostname, "sudo", "install", "-m", "755", tmp, bin}
-	sshCmd := exec.Command("ssh", append(sshFlags, sshArgs...)...)
-	sshCmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-	sshCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-	logrus.Debugf("executing %v", sshCmd.Args)
-	if err := sshCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+	if err := runCmd("ssh", sshFlags, sshArgs...); err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -88,20 +88,12 @@ func guestInstallAction(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		tmp := "/tmp/nerdctl-full.tgz"
 		logrus.Infof("Copying %q to %s", nerdctlFilename, hostname)
 		scpArgs := []string{nerdctlArchive, hostname + ":" + tmp}
-		scpCmd := exec.Command("scp", append(sshFlags, scpArgs...)...)
-		scpCmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-		scpCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-		logrus.Debugf("executing %v", scpCmd.Args)
-		if err := scpCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		if err := runCmd("scp", sshFlags, scpArgs...); err != nil {
 			return nil
 		}
 		logrus.Infof("Installing %s in %s", tmp, prefix)
 		sshArgs := []string{hostname, "sudo", "tar", "Cxzf", prefix, tmp}
-		sshCmd := exec.Command("ssh", append(sshFlags, sshArgs...)...)
-		sshCmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-		sshCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-		logrus.Debugf("executing %v", sshCmd.Args)
-		if err := sshCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		if err := runCmd("ssh", sshFlags, sshArgs...); err != nil {
 			return nil
 		}
 	}