diff --git a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
index 220b04343..00831d42e 100644
--- a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
+++ b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"math/rand/v2"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -43,8 +42,6 @@ func RunShell(options ShellOptions) {
 
 	defer saveHistory()
 
-	reg, _ := regexp.Compile(`'.*?'|".*?"|\S+`)
-
 	commandEnv := NewCommandEnv(&options)
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -89,25 +86,21 @@ func RunShell(options ShellOptions) {
 		}
 
 		for _, c := range util.StringSplit(cmd, ";") {
-			if processEachCmd(reg, c, commandEnv) {
+			if processEachCmd(c, commandEnv) {
 				return
 			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func processEachCmd(reg *regexp.Regexp, cmd string, commandEnv *CommandEnv) bool {
-	cmds := reg.FindAllString(cmd, -1)
+func processEachCmd(cmd string, commandEnv *CommandEnv) bool {
+	cmds := splitCommandLine(cmd)
 
 	if len(cmds) == 0 {
 		return false
 	} else {
 
-		args := make([]string, len(cmds[1:]))
-
-		for i := range args {
-			args[i] = strings.Trim(string(cmds[1+i]), "\"'")
-		}
+		args := cmds[1:]
 
 		cmd := cmds[0]
 		if cmd == "help" || cmd == "?" {
@@ -133,6 +126,70 @@ func processEachCmd(reg *regexp.Regexp, cmd string, commandEnv *CommandEnv) bool
 	return false
 }
 
+func stripQuotes(s string) string {
+	tokens, unbalanced := parseShellInput(s, false)
+	if unbalanced {
+		return s
+	}
+	if len(tokens) > 0 {
+		return tokens[0]
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func splitCommandLine(line string) []string {
+	tokens, _ := parseShellInput(line, true)
+	return tokens
+}
+
+func parseShellInput(line string, split bool) (args []string, unbalanced bool) {
+	var current strings.Builder
+	inDoubleQuotes := false
+	inSingleQuotes := false
+	escaped := false
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(line); i++ {
+		c := line[i]
+
+		if escaped {
+			current.WriteByte(c)
+			escaped = false
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if c == '\\' && !inSingleQuotes {
+			escaped = true
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if c == '"' && !inSingleQuotes {
+			inDoubleQuotes = !inDoubleQuotes
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if c == '\'' && !inDoubleQuotes {
+			inSingleQuotes = !inSingleQuotes
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if split && (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '\n' || c == '\r') && !inDoubleQuotes && !inSingleQuotes {
+			if current.Len() > 0 {
+				args = append(args, current.String())
+				current.Reset()
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		current.WriteByte(c)
+	}
+
+	if current.Len() > 0 {
+		args = append(args, current.String())
+	}
+
+	return args, inDoubleQuotes || inSingleQuotes || escaped
+}
+
 func printGenericHelp() {
 	msg :=
 		`Type:	"help <command>" for help on <command>. Most commands support "<command> -h" also for options. 
diff --git a/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go b/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfdd2b378
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/shell/shell_liner_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package shell
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestSplitCommandLine(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input    string
+		expected []string
+	}{
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -user=test`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-user=test`},
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -user=Test_number_004 -account_display_name="Test number 004" -actions=write -apply`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-user=Test_number_004`, `-account_display_name=Test number 004`, `-actions=write`, `-apply`},
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -user=Test_number_004 -account_display_name='Test number 004' -actions=write -apply`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-user=Test_number_004`, `-account_display_name=Test number 004`, `-actions=write`, `-apply`},
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -flag="a b"c'd e'`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-flag=a bcd e`},
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -name="a\"b"`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-name=a"b`},
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `s3.configure -path='a\ b'`,
+			expected: []string{`s3.configure`, `-path=a\ b`},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		got := splitCommandLine(tt.input)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.expected) {
+			t.Errorf("input: %s\ngot:  %v\nwant: %v", tt.input, got, tt.expected)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStripQuotes(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input    string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{input: `"Test number 004"`, expected: `Test number 004`},
+		{input: `'Test number 004'`, expected: `Test number 004`},
+		{input: `-account_display_name="Test number 004"`, expected: `-account_display_name=Test number 004`},
+		{input: `-flag="a"b'c'`, expected: `-flag=abc`},
+		{input: `-name="a\"b"`, expected: `-name=a"b`},
+		{input: `-path='a\ b'`, expected: `-path=a\ b`},
+		{input: `"unbalanced`, expected: `"unbalanced`},
+		{input: `'unbalanced`, expected: `'unbalanced`},
+		{input: `-name="a\"b`, expected: `-name="a\"b`},
+		{input: `trailing\`, expected: `trailing\`},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		got := stripQuotes(tt.input)
+		if got != tt.expected {
+			t.Errorf("input: %s, got: %s, want: %s", tt.input, got, tt.expected)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFlagParsing(t *testing.T) {
+	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("test", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	displayName := fs.String("account_display_name", "", "display name")
+
+	rawArg := `-account_display_name="Test number 004"`
+	args := []string{stripQuotes(rawArg)}
+	err := fs.Parse(args)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	expected := "Test number 004"
+	if *displayName != expected {
+		t.Errorf("got: [%s], want: [%s]", *displayName, expected)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEscapedFlagParsing(t *testing.T) {
+	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("test", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	name := fs.String("name", "", "name")
+
+	rawArg := `-name="a\"b"`
+	args := []string{stripQuotes(rawArg)}
+	err := fs.Parse(args)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	expected := `a"b`
+	if *name != expected {
+		t.Errorf("got: [%s], want: [%s]", *name, expected)
+	}
+}