diff --git a/backup.sh b/backup.sh
index eb59ce72a040a746db1abd8504ffdf7228dbed53..fc8138af7428c09d77ba56a66923471b7f66955c 100755
--- a/backup.sh
+++ b/backup.sh
@@ -37,12 +37,16 @@ PRINT_HELP="--backupdir=BACKUPDIR\n\tThe directory which the dump is to be store
 
 
 function backup {
+    NARG_NAME=$1
+    NARG_FILE=$2
+    shift 2
+    echo $MYSQLDUMP_CMD
 	# parameters: connection, database, outfile
-	if [ -e "$3" ]; then
+	if [ -e "$NARG_FILE" ]; then
 		failure "dumpfile already exists."
 	fi
-    echo "Dumping database $2 to $3 ... "
-	$CMD_MYSQL_DUMP $1 --opt --default-character-set=utf8 --routines $2 > ${3}
+    echo "Dumping database $NARG_NAME to $NARG_FILE ... "
+	$MYSQLDUMP_CMD $* --opt --default-character-set=utf8 --routines $NARG_NAME > $NARG_FILE
 	success
 }
 
@@ -58,6 +62,6 @@ function backup {
 
 DATE=$(date -u --rfc-3339=ns | sed 's/ /T/g')
 BACKUPFILE=${BACKUPDIR}/${DATABASE_NAME}.${DATE}.dump.sql
-backup $MYSQL_CONNECTION $DATABASE_NAME $BACKUPFILE
+backup $DATABASE_NAME $BACKUPFILE $MYSQL_CONNECTION