diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients.go
index 0b4287a..4352766 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type nextBatchStore struct {
-	db *database.ServiceDB
+	db database.Storer
 }
 
 func (s nextBatchStore) Save(userID, nextBatch string) {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func (s nextBatchStore) Load(userID string) string {
 
 // A Clients is a collection of clients used for bot services.
 type Clients struct {
-	db         *database.ServiceDB
+	db         database.Storer
 	httpClient *http.Client
 	dbMutex    sync.Mutex
 	mapMutex   sync.Mutex
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type Clients struct {
 }
 
 // New makes a new collection of matrix clients
-func New(db *database.ServiceDB, cli *http.Client) *Clients {
+func New(db database.Storer, cli *http.Client) *Clients {
 	clients := &Clients{
 		db:         db,
 		httpClient: cli,
@@ -192,6 +192,12 @@ func (c *Clients) onMessageEvent(client *matrix.Client, event *matrix.Event) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// replace all smart quotes with their normal counterparts so shellwords can parse it
+	body = strings.Replace(body, `‘`, `'`, -1)
+	body = strings.Replace(body, `’`, `'`, -1)
+	body = strings.Replace(body, `“`, `"`, -1)
+	body = strings.Replace(body, `”`, `"`, -1)
+
 	var responses []interface{}
 
 	for _, service := range services {
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients_test.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc6f70e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/clients/clients_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package clients
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/database"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/matrix"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/types"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+var commandParseTests = []struct {
+	body       string
+	expectArgs []string
+}{
+	{"!test word", []string{"word"}},
+	{"!test two words", []string{"two", "words"}},
+	{`!test "words with double quotes"`, []string{"words with double quotes"}},
+	{"!test 'words with single quotes'", []string{"words with single quotes"}},
+	{`!test 'single quotes' "double quotes"`, []string{"single quotes", "double quotes"}},
+	{`!test ‘smart single quotes’ “smart double quotes”`, []string{"smart single quotes", "smart double quotes"}},
+}
+
+type MockService struct {
+	types.DefaultService
+	commands []types.Command
+}
+
+func (s *MockService) Commands(cli *matrix.Client) []types.Command {
+	return s.commands
+}
+
+type MockStore struct {
+	database.NopStorage
+	service types.Service
+}
+
+func (d *MockStore) LoadServicesForUser(userID string) ([]types.Service, error) {
+	return []types.Service{d.service}, nil
+}
+
+type MockTransport struct {
+	roundTrip func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error)
+}
+
+func (t MockTransport) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	return t.roundTrip(req)
+}
+
+func TestCommandParsing(t *testing.T) {
+	var executedCmdArgs []string
+	cmds := []types.Command{
+		types.Command{
+			Path: []string{"test"},
+			Command: func(roomID, userID string, args []string) (interface{}, error) {
+				executedCmdArgs = args
+				return nil, nil
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	s := MockService{commands: cmds}
+	store := MockStore{service: &s}
+	database.SetServiceDB(&store)
+
+	trans := struct{ MockTransport }{}
+	trans.roundTrip = func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unhandled test path")
+	}
+	cli := &http.Client{
+		Transport: trans,
+	}
+	clients := New(&store, cli)
+	hsURL, _ := url.Parse("https://someplace.somewhere")
+	mxCli := matrix.NewClient(cli, hsURL, "token", "@service:user")
+
+	for _, input := range commandParseTests {
+		executedCmdArgs = []string{}
+		event := matrix.Event{
+			Type:   "m.room.message",
+			Sender: "@someone:somewhere",
+			RoomID: "!foo:bar",
+			Content: map[string]interface{}{
+				"body":    input.body,
+				"msgtype": "m.text",
+			},
+		}
+		clients.onMessageEvent(mxCli, &event)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(executedCmdArgs, input.expectArgs) {
+			t.Errorf("TestCommandParsing want %s, got %s", input.expectArgs, executedCmdArgs)
+		}
+	}
+
+}