diff --git a/ec2/spark_ec2.py b/ec2/spark_ec2.py
index d2c29d0db0fb7..89244642f9037 100755
--- a/ec2/spark_ec2.py
+++ b/ec2/spark_ec2.py
@@ -642,9 +642,23 @@ def ssh(host, opts, command):
       time.sleep(30)
       tries = tries + 1
 
+# Backported from Python 2.7 for compatiblity with 2.6 (See SPARK-1990)
+def _check_output(*popenargs, **kwargs):
+    if 'stdout' in kwargs:
+        raise ValueError('stdout argument not allowed, it will be overridden.')
+    process = subprocess.Popen(stdout=PIPE, *popenargs, **kwargs)
+    output, unused_err = process.communicate()
+    retcode = process.poll()
+    if retcode:
+        cmd = kwargs.get("args")
+        if cmd is None:
+            cmd = popenargs[0]
+        raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd, output=output)
+    return output
+
 
 def ssh_read(host, opts, command):
-  return subprocess.check_output(
+  return _check_output(
       ssh_command(opts) + ['%s@%s' % (opts.user, host), stringify_command(command)])