diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
index 75d86295b..bf7d0e1d1 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Monitor;
 
 struct DCB;
 struct json_t;
-struct EXTERNCMD;
+struct ExternalCmd;
 
 /**
  * @verbatim
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ private:
      *
      * @return Return value of the executed script or -1 on error.
      */
-    int launch_command(MonitorServer* ptr, EXTERNCMD* cmd);
+    int launch_command(MonitorServer* ptr, ExternalCmd* cmd);
 
     enum class CredentialsApproach
     {
diff --git a/server/core/externcmd.cc b/server/core/externcmd.cc
index 06fc86862..d1e63d9cd 100644
--- a/server/core/externcmd.cc
+++ b/server/core/externcmd.cc
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ static int tokenize_arguments(const char* argstr, char** argv)
     return 0;
 }
 
-EXTERNCMD* externcmd_allocate(const char* argstr, uint32_t timeout)
+ExternalCmd* ExternalCmd::externcmd_allocate(const char* argstr, uint32_t timeout)
 {
-    EXTERNCMD* cmd = (EXTERNCMD*) MXS_MALLOC(sizeof(EXTERNCMD));
+    ExternalCmd* cmd = (ExternalCmd*) MXS_MALLOC(sizeof(ExternalCmd));
     char** argv = (char**) MXS_MALLOC(sizeof(char*) * MAXSCALE_EXTCMD_ARG_MAX);
 
     if (argstr && cmd && argv)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ EXTERNCMD* externcmd_allocate(const char* argstr, uint32_t timeout)
     return cmd;
 }
 
-void externcmd_free(EXTERNCMD* cmd)
+void ExternalCmd::externcmd_free(ExternalCmd* cmd)
 {
     if (cmd)
     {
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ static void log_output(const char* cmd, const std::string& str)
     }
 }
 
-int externcmd_execute(EXTERNCMD* cmd)
+int ExternalCmd::externcmd_execute()
 {
+    auto cmd = this;
     // Create a pipe where the command can print output
     int fd[2];
 
@@ -377,7 +378,7 @@ int externcmd_execute(EXTERNCMD* cmd)
     return rval;
 }
 
-bool externcmd_substitute_arg(EXTERNCMD* cmd, const char* match, const char* replace)
+bool externcmd_substitute_arg(ExternalCmd* cmd, const char* match, const char* replace)
 {
     int err;
     bool rval = true;
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ bool externcmd_can_execute(const char* argstr)
     return rval;
 }
 
-bool externcmd_matches(const EXTERNCMD* cmd, const char* match)
+bool externcmd_matches(const ExternalCmd* cmd, const char* match)
 {
     for (int i = 0; cmd->argv[i]; i++)
     {
diff --git a/server/core/internal/externcmd.hh b/server/core/internal/externcmd.hh
index 414a5fbd0..c3c7afef5 100644
--- a/server/core/internal/externcmd.hh
+++ b/server/core/internal/externcmd.hh
@@ -17,10 +17,38 @@
 
 #define MAXSCALE_EXTCMD_ARG_MAX 256
 
-MXS_BEGIN_DECLS
-
-struct EXTERNCMD
+class ExternalCmd
 {
+public:
+    /**
+     * Allocate a new external command.
+     *
+     * The name and parameters are copied into the external command structure so
+     * the original memory can be freed if needed.
+     *
+     * @param command Command to execute with the parameters
+     * @param timeout Command timeout in seconds
+     *
+     * @return Pointer to new external command struct or NULL if an error occurred
+     */
+    static ExternalCmd* externcmd_allocate(const char* argstr, uint32_t timeout);
+
+    /**
+     * Free a previously allocated external command
+     *
+     * @param cmd Command to free
+     */
+    static void externcmd_free(ExternalCmd* cmd);
+
+    /**
+     * Execute a command
+     *
+     * The output of the command must be freed by the caller by calling MXS_FREE.
+     *
+     * @return The return value of the executed command or -1 on error
+     */
+    int externcmd_execute();
+
     char** argv;        /**< Argument vector for the command, first being the
                          * actual command being executed */
     int      n_exec;    /**< Number of times executed */
@@ -28,40 +56,6 @@ struct EXTERNCMD
     uint32_t timeout;   /**< Command timeout in seconds */
 };
 
-char* externcmd_extract_command(const char* argstr);
-
-/**
- * Allocate a new external command.
- *
- * The name and parameters are copied into the external command structure so
- * the original memory can be freed if needed.
- *
- * @param command Command to execute with the parameters
- * @param timeout Command timeout in seconds
- *
- * @return Pointer to new external command struct or NULL if an error occurred
- */
-EXTERNCMD* externcmd_allocate(const char* argstr, uint32_t timeout);
-
-
-/**
- * Free a previously allocated external command
- *
- * @param cmd Command to free
- */
-void externcmd_free(EXTERNCMD* cmd);
-
-/**
- * Execute a command
- *
- * The output of the command must be freed by the caller by calling MXS_FREE.
- *
- * @param cmd  Command to execute
- *
- * @return The return value of the executed command or -1 on error
- */
-int externcmd_execute(EXTERNCMD* cmd);
-
 /**
  * Substitute all occurrences of @c match with @c replace in the arguments for @c cmd
  *
@@ -71,7 +65,7 @@ int externcmd_execute(EXTERNCMD* cmd);
  *
  * @return True if replacement was successful, false on error
  */
-bool externcmd_substitute_arg(EXTERNCMD* cmd, const char* re, const char* replace);
+bool externcmd_substitute_arg(ExternalCmd* cmd, const char* re, const char* replace);
 
 /**
  * Check if a command can be executed
@@ -93,6 +87,4 @@ bool externcmd_can_execute(const char* argstr);
  *
  * @return True if the string matched
  */
-bool externcmd_matches(const EXTERNCMD* cmd, const char* match);
-
-MXS_END_DECLS
+bool externcmd_matches(const ExternalCmd* cmd, const char* match);
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index 563c81628..30b44768d 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ std::string Monitor::child_nodes(MonitorServer* parent)
     return ss.str();
 }
 
-int Monitor::launch_command(MonitorServer* ptr, EXTERNCMD* cmd)
+int Monitor::launch_command(MonitorServer* ptr, ExternalCmd* cmd)
 {
     if (externcmd_matches(cmd, "$INITIATOR"))
     {
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ int Monitor::launch_command(MonitorServer* ptr, EXTERNCMD* cmd)
         externcmd_substitute_arg(cmd, "[$]SYNCEDLIST", nodelist);
     }
 
-    int rv = externcmd_execute(cmd);
+    int rv = cmd->externcmd_execute();
 
     if (rv)
     {
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ int Monitor::launch_script(MonitorServer* ptr)
     char arg[strlen(script) + 1];
     strcpy(arg, script);
 
-    EXTERNCMD* cmd = externcmd_allocate(arg, m_settings.script_timeout);
+    ExternalCmd* cmd = ExternalCmd::externcmd_allocate(arg, m_settings.script_timeout);
 
     if (cmd == NULL)
     {
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ int Monitor::launch_script(MonitorServer* ptr)
 
     int rv = launch_command(ptr, cmd);
 
-    externcmd_free(cmd);
+    ExternalCmd::externcmd_free(cmd);
 
     return rv;
 }