diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/fileexecutils.py b/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/fileexecutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..faf33a88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/fileexecutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# Copyright 2014 Cloudbase Solutions Srl
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import os
+
+from cloudbaseinit.openstack.common import log as logging
+from cloudbaseinit.osutils import factory as osutils_factory
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def exec_file(file_path):
+    shell = False
+    powershell = False
+
+    ext = os.path.splitext(file_path)[1][1:].lower()
+
+    if ext == "cmd":
+        args = [file_path]
+        shell = True
+    elif ext == "exe":
+        args = [file_path]
+    elif ext == "sh":
+        args = ["bash.exe", file_path]
+    elif ext == "py":
+        args = ["python.exe", file_path]
+    elif ext == "ps1":
+        powershell = True
+    else:
+        # Unsupported
+        LOG.warning('Unsupported script file type: %s' % ext)
+        return 0
+
+    osutils = osutils_factory.get_os_utils()
+
+    try:
+        if powershell:
+            (out, err,
+             ret_val) = osutils.execute_powershell_script(file_path)
+        else:
+            (out, err, ret_val) = osutils.execute_process(args, shell)
+
+        LOG.info('Script "%(file_path)s" ended with exit code: %(ret_val)d' %
+                 {"file_path": file_path, "ret_val": ret_val})
+        LOG.debug('User_data stdout:\n%s' % out)
+        LOG.debug('User_data stderr:\n%s' % err)
+
+        return ret_val
+    except Exception, ex:
+        LOG.warning('An error occurred during file execution: \'%s\'' % ex)
diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/userdataplugins/shellscript.py b/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/userdataplugins/shellscript.py
index 959998c9..91908c0f 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/userdataplugins/shellscript.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/plugins/windows/userdataplugins/shellscript.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import tempfile
 import os
 
 from cloudbaseinit.openstack.common import log as logging
-from cloudbaseinit.osutils import factory as osutils_factory
+from cloudbaseinit.plugins.windows import fileexecutils
 from cloudbaseinit.plugins.windows.userdataplugins import base
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -28,43 +28,14 @@ class ShellScriptPlugin(base.BaseUserDataPlugin):
         super(ShellScriptPlugin, self).__init__("text/x-shellscript")
 
     def process(self, part):
-        osutils = osutils_factory.get_os_utils()
-
         file_name = part.get_filename()
         target_path = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), file_name)
 
-        shell = False
-        powershell = False
-
-        if file_name.endswith(".cmd"):
-            args = [target_path]
-            shell = True
-        elif file_name.endswith(".sh"):
-            args = ['bash.exe', target_path]
-        elif file_name.endswith(".py"):
-            args = ['python.exe', target_path]
-        elif file_name.endswith(".ps1"):
-            powershell = True
-        else:
-            # Unsupported
-            LOG.warning('Unsupported script type')
-            return 0
-
         try:
             with open(target_path, 'wb') as f:
                 f.write(part.get_payload())
 
-            if powershell:
-                (out, err,
-                 ret_val) = osutils.execute_powershell_script(target_path)
-            else:
-                (out, err, ret_val) = osutils.execute_process(args, shell)
-
-            LOG.info('User_data script ended with return code: %d' % ret_val)
-            LOG.debug('User_data stdout:\n%s' % out)
-            LOG.debug('User_data stderr:\n%s' % err)
-
-            return ret_val
+            return fileexecutils.exec_file(target_path)
         except Exception, ex:
             LOG.warning('An error occurred during user_data execution: \'%s\''
                         % ex)