diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index bff230f7c..03761c52e 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -391,14 +391,12 @@ struct cmd_results *config_command(char *exec) {
 	// Var replacement, for all but first argument of set
 	// TODO commands
 	for (i = handler->handle == cmd_set ? 2 : 1; i < argc; ++i) {
+		if (*argv[i] == '\"' || *argv[i] == '\'') {
+			strip_quotes(argv[i]);
+		}
 		argv[i] = do_var_replacement(argv[i]);
 		unescape_string(argv[i]);
 	}
-	// Strip quotes for first argument.
-	// TODO This part needs to be handled much better
-	if (argc>1 && (*argv[1] == '\"' || *argv[1] == '\'')) {
-		strip_quotes(argv[1]);
-	}
 	if (handler->handle) {
 		results = handler->handle(argc-1, argv+1);
 	} else {
@@ -422,11 +420,6 @@ struct cmd_results *config_subcommand(char **argv, int argc,
 		char *input = argv[0] ? argv[0] : "(empty)";
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, input, "Unknown/invalid command");
 	}
-	// Strip quotes for first argument.
-	// TODO This part needs to be handled much better
-	if (argc > 1 && (*argv[1] == '\"' || *argv[1] == '\'')) {
-		strip_quotes(argv[1]);
-	}
 	if (handler->handle) {
 		return handler->handle(argc - 1, argv + 1);
 	}
diff --git a/sway/commands/output/background.c b/sway/commands/output/background.c
index 9e370d439..30fb47c46 100644
--- a/sway/commands/output/background.c
+++ b/sway/commands/output/background.c
@@ -123,19 +123,13 @@ struct cmd_results *output_cmd_background(int argc, char **argv) {
 			}
 			free(src);
 		} else {
-			// Escape spaces and quotes in the final path for swaybg
+			// Escape double quotes in the final path for swaybg
 			for (size_t i = 0; i < strlen(src); i++) {
-				switch (src[i]) {
-					case ' ':
-					case '\'':
-					case '\"':
-						src = realloc(src, strlen(src) + 2);
-						memmove(src + i + 1, src + i, strlen(src + i) + 1);
-						*(src + i) = '\\';
-						i++;
-						break;
-					default:
-						break;
+				if (src[i] == '"') {
+					src = realloc(src, strlen(src) + 2);
+					memmove(src + i + 1, src + i, strlen(src + i) + 1);
+					*(src + i) = '\\';
+					i++;
 				}
 			}
 
diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index 74d79130a..6f337b66b 100644
--- a/sway/config/output.c
+++ b/sway/config/output.c
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ void apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_output *output) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Setting background for output %d to %s",
 				output_i, oc->background);
 
-		size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, "%s %d %s %s %s",
+		size_t len = snprintf(NULL, 0, "%s %d \"%s\" %s %s",
 				config->swaybg_command ? config->swaybg_command : "swaybg",
 				output_i, oc->background, oc->background_option,
 				oc->background_fallback ? oc->background_fallback : "");
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ void apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_output *output) {
 			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Unable to allocate swaybg command");
 			return;
 		}
-		snprintf(command, len + 1, "%s %d %s %s %s",
+		snprintf(command, len + 1, "%s %d \"%s\" %s %s",
 				config->swaybg_command ? config->swaybg_command : "swaybg",
 				output_i, oc->background, oc->background_option,
 				oc->background_fallback ? oc->background_fallback : "");