diff --git a/detox/local-cli/startCommand/AppStartCommand.js b/detox/local-cli/startCommand/AppStartCommand.js
index 8078e8d3b3..95ec835903 100644
--- a/detox/local-cli/startCommand/AppStartCommand.js
+++ b/detox/local-cli/startCommand/AppStartCommand.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const execa = require('execa');
+const tinyexec = require('tinyexec');
+const { tokenizeArgs } = require('args-tokenizer');
 
 const detox = require('../../internals');
 const { DetoxRuntimeError } = require('../../src/errors');
@@ -36,12 +37,15 @@ class AppStartCommand {
       }
     };
 
-    this._cpHandle = execa.command(cmd, {
-      stdio: ['ignore', 'inherit', 'inherit'],
-      shell: true
+    const [command, ...args] = tokenizeArgs(cmd);
+    this._cpHandle = tinyexec.x(command, args, {
+      nodeOptions: {
+        stdio: ['ignore', 'inherit', 'inherit'],
+        shell: true
+      }
     });
-    this._cpHandle.on('error', onError);
-    this._cpHandle.on('exit', (code, signal) => {
+    this._cpHandle.process.on('error', onError);
+    this._cpHandle.process.on('exit', (code, signal) => {
       const reason = code == null ? `signal ${signal}` : `code ${code}`;
       const msg = `Command exited with ${reason}: ${cmd}`;
       if (signal || code === 0) {
diff --git a/detox/package.json b/detox/package.json
index 4acef5c82a..1643aca0a6 100644
--- a/detox/package.json
+++ b/detox/package.json
@@ -91,11 +91,11 @@
     "@wix-pilot/core": "^3.4.2",
     "@wix-pilot/detox": "^1.0.13",
     "ajv": "^8.6.3",
+    "args-tokenizer": "^0.3.0",
     "bunyan": "^1.8.12",
     "bunyan-debug-stream": "^3.1.0",
     "caf": "^15.0.1",
     "chalk": "^4.0.0",
-    "execa": "^5.1.1",
     "find-up": "^5.0.0",
     "fs-extra": "^11.0.0",
     "funpermaproxy": "^1.1.0",
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
     "stream-json": "^1.7.4",
     "strip-ansi": "^6.0.1",
     "telnet-client": "1.2.8",
+    "tinyexec": "^0.3.0",
     "tmp": "^0.2.1",
     "trace-event-lib": "^1.3.1",
     "which": "^1.3.1",
diff --git a/detox/test/integration/bail-test.test.js b/detox/test/integration/bail-test.test.js
index 5282f3f2e3..f5cb1779b2 100644
--- a/detox/test/integration/bail-test.test.js
+++ b/detox/test/integration/bail-test.test.js
@@ -1,22 +1,24 @@
-const _ = require('lodash');
-const execa = require('execa');
+const tinyexec = require('tinyexec');
+const { tokenizeArgs } = require('args-tokenizer');
 
 describe('jest --bail tests', () => {
   test.each([
     `detox test -c stub --config integration/e2e/config.js --bail --maxWorkers 2 --retries 1 flaky passing-simple`,
-    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --bail --runInBand passing-simple`,
+    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --bail --runInBand passing-simple`
   ])('should pass: %s', async (cmd) => {
     console.log(`Running: ${cmd}`);
-    const handle = execa.commandSync(cmd, { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true });
+    const [command, ...args] = tokenizeArgs(cmd);
+    const handle = await tinyexec.x(command, args, { nodeOptions: { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true } });
     expect(handle.exitCode).toBe(0);
   });
 
   test.each([
     `detox test -c stub --config integration/e2e/config.js --bail --runInBand --retries 0 flaky passing-simple`,
-    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --maxWorkers 4 flaky passing`,
+    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --maxWorkers 4 flaky passing`
   ])('should fail: %s', async (cmd) => {
     console.log(`Running: ${cmd}`);
-    const handle = _.attempt(() => execa.commandSync(cmd, { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true }));
+    const [command, ...args] = tokenizeArgs(cmd);
+    const handle = await tinyexec.x(command, args, { nodeOptions: { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true } });
     expect(handle.exitCode).not.toBe(0);
   });
 });
diff --git a/detox/test/integration/initialization-test.test.js b/detox/test/integration/initialization-test.test.js
index 6a89574480..a35d86e88b 100644
--- a/detox/test/integration/initialization-test.test.js
+++ b/detox/test/integration/initialization-test.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const execa = require('execa');
+const tinyexec = require('tinyexec');
+const { tokenizeArgs } = require('args-tokenizer');
 
 describe('Initialization (context) tests', () => {
   test.each([
@@ -8,9 +9,10 @@ describe('Initialization (context) tests', () => {
     `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --runInBand passing-simple`,
 
     `detox test -c stub --config integration/e2e/config.js --maxWorkers 2 --retries 1 flaky passing-simple`,
-    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --maxWorkers 2 passing-simple`,
+    `cross-env DETOX_CONFIGURATION=stub jest --config integration/e2e/config.js --maxWorkers 2 passing-simple`
   ])('should run: %s', async (cmd) => {
-    const handle = execa.commandSync(cmd, { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true });
+    const [command, ...args] = tokenizeArgs(cmd);
+    const handle = await tinyexec.x(command, args, { nodeOptions: { stdio: 'inherit', shell: true } });
     expect(handle.exitCode).toBe(0);
   });
 });
diff --git a/detox/test/package.json b/detox/test/package.json
index 12f66d91b7..b637fd59d9 100644
--- a/detox/test/package.json
+++ b/detox/test/package.json
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
     "@types/react": "^19.2.0",
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^6.16.0",
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^6.16.0",
+    "args-tokenizer": "^0.3.0",
     "axios": "^1.7.7",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
     "detox": "workspace:*",
@@ -72,7 +73,6 @@
     "eslint": "^8.56.0",
     "eslint-plugin-jest": "^28.11.0",
     "eslint-plugin-unicorn": "^50.0.1",
-    "execa": "^5.1.1",
     "express": "^4.15.3",
     "glob": "^7.2.0",
     "jest": "^30.0.3",
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
     "nyc": "^15.1.0",
     "p-iteration": "^1.1.8",
     "pngjs": "^3.4.0",
+    "tinyexec": "^0.3.0",
     "typescript": "^5.8.3"
   },
   "jest-junit": {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 38e4ecf8a6..613e556861 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6462,6 +6462,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"args-tokenizer@npm:^0.3.0":
+  version: 0.3.0
+  resolution: "args-tokenizer@npm:0.3.0"
+  checksum: 10/b1335368758f9fc9b9bfc98ac4a5ea47b89be76fbc66c12bd2cb9e8460c9126e07ac3d251c1cf799df5bfde7b3d97559c55227c633ea82511bf969f69720bf39
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "arr-diff@npm:^4.0.0":
   version: 4.0.0
   resolution: "arr-diff@npm:4.0.0"
@@ -10199,6 +10206,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@types/react": "npm:^19.2.0"
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "npm:^6.16.0"
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "npm:^6.16.0"
+    args-tokenizer: "npm:^0.3.0"
     axios: "npm:^1.7.7"
     cross-env: "npm:^7.0.3"
     detox: "workspace:*"
@@ -10206,7 +10214,6 @@ __metadata:
     eslint: "npm:^8.56.0"
     eslint-plugin-jest: "npm:^28.11.0"
     eslint-plugin-unicorn: "npm:^50.0.1"
-    execa: "npm:^5.1.1"
     express: "npm:^4.15.3"
     glob: "npm:^7.2.0"
     jest: "npm:^30.0.3"
@@ -10222,6 +10229,7 @@ __metadata:
     react-native-permissions: "npm:^5.2.1"
     react-native-webview: "npm:^13.13.1"
     ssim.js: "npm:^3.5.0"
+    tinyexec: "npm:^0.3.0"
     typescript: "npm:^5.8.3"
   languageName: unknown
   linkType: soft
@@ -10250,6 +10258,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@wix-pilot/core": "npm:^3.4.2"
     "@wix-pilot/detox": "npm:^1.0.13"
     ajv: "npm:^8.6.3"
+    args-tokenizer: "npm:^0.3.0"
     bunyan: "npm:^1.8.12"
     bunyan-debug-stream: "npm:^3.1.0"
     caf: "npm:^15.0.1"
@@ -10261,7 +10270,6 @@ __metadata:
     eslint-plugin-no-only-tests: "npm:^3.1.0"
     eslint-plugin-node: "npm:^11.1.0"
     eslint-plugin-unicorn: "npm:^50.0.1"
-    execa: "npm:^5.1.1"
     find-up: "npm:^5.0.0"
     fs-extra: "npm:^11.0.0"
     funpermaproxy: "npm:^1.1.0"
@@ -10290,6 +10298,7 @@ __metadata:
     stream-json: "npm:^1.7.4"
     strip-ansi: "npm:^6.0.1"
     telnet-client: "npm:1.2.8"
+    tinyexec: "npm:^0.3.0"
     tmp: "npm:^0.2.1"
     trace-event-lib: "npm:^1.3.1"
     typescript: "npm:^5.8.3"
@@ -25840,6 +25849,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"tinyexec@npm:^0.3.0":
+  version: 0.3.2
+  resolution: "tinyexec@npm:0.3.2"
+  checksum: 10/b9d5fed3166fb1acd1e7f9a89afcd97ccbe18b9c1af0278e429455f6976d69271ba2d21797e7c36d57d6b05025e525d2882d88c2ab435b60d1ddf2fea361de57
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "tinyglobby@npm:^0.2.12, tinyglobby@npm:^0.2.15":
   version: 0.2.15
   resolution: "tinyglobby@npm:0.2.15"