diff --git a/modutils/modutils.c b/modutils/modutils.c
index 565d0d22f..415dbbe44 100644
--- a/modutils/modutils.c
+++ b/modutils/modutils.c
@@ -71,12 +71,11 @@ char* FAST_FUNC parse_cmdline_module_options(char **argv)
 	optlen = 0;
 	while (*++argv) {
 		options = xrealloc(options, optlen + 2 + strlen(*argv) + 2);
-		/* Older versions were enclosing space-containing *argv in "",
-		 * but both modprobe and insmod from module-init-tools 3.11.1
-		 * don't do this anymore. (As to extra trailing space,
-		 * insmod adds it but modprobe does not. We do in both cases)
-		 */
-		optlen += sprintf(options + optlen, "%s ", *argv);
+		/* Spaces handled by "" pairs, but no way of escaping quotes */
+//TODO: module-init-tools version 3.11.1 quotes only value:
+//it generates var="val with spaces", not "var=val with spaces"
+//(and it won't quote var *name* even if it has spaces)
+		optlen += sprintf(options + optlen, (strchr(*argv, ' ') ? "\"%s\" " : "%s "), *argv);
 	}
 	return options;
 }