diff --git a/sway/commands/output/background.c b/sway/commands/output/background.c
index 2ff5f0d7c..9e370d439 100644
--- a/sway/commands/output/background.c
+++ b/sway/commands/output/background.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ struct cmd_results *output_cmd_background(int argc, char **argv) {
 				"Missing background scaling mode.");
 		}
 
-		wordexp_t p;
+		wordexp_t p = {0};
 		char *src = join_args(argv, j);
 		while (strstr(src, "  ")) {
 			src = realloc(src, strlen(src) + 2);
@@ -123,6 +123,22 @@ struct cmd_results *output_cmd_background(int argc, char **argv) {
 			}
 			free(src);
 		} else {
+			// Escape spaces and 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;
+				}
+			}
+
 			output->background = src;
 			output->background_option = strdup(mode);
 		}
diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index 6f337b66b..74d79130a 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 : "");