diff --git a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/flags/FlagManager.java b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/flags/FlagManager.java
index 70aa7a7f0f..06edf66ff4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/flags/FlagManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/flags/FlagManager.java
@@ -522,6 +522,8 @@ public boolean isEmpty() {
          */
         public void doAction(Action action, Element value, Integer index) {
 
+            String val = (value != null ? value.asString() : null);
+
             if (index == null) index = -1;
 
             if (action == null) return;
@@ -538,19 +540,19 @@ public void doAction(Action action, Element value, Integer index) {
                     break;
 
                 case SET_VALUE:
-                    set(value, index);
+                    set(val, index);
                     break;
 
                 case INSERT:
-                    add(value);
+                    add(val);
                     break;
 
                 case REMOVE:
-                    remove(value, index);
+                    remove(val, index);
                     break;
 
                 case SPLIT:
-                    split(value);
+                    split(val);
                     break;
 
                 case DELETE:
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/CommandExecuter.java b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/CommandExecuter.java
index f6c75ade95..8ce067c0e6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/CommandExecuter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/CommandExecuter.java
@@ -92,22 +92,19 @@ public boolean execute(ScriptEntry scriptEntry) {
 
 
             for (aH.Argument arg : aH.interpret(scriptEntry.getArguments())) {
+
+                dB.log("arg " + arg.raw_value);
+
                 if (arg.getValue().equals("{")) nested_depth++;
                 if (arg.getValue().equals("}")) nested_depth--;
 
                 // If nested, continue.
                 if (nested_depth > 0) {
-                    newArgs.add(arg.getValue());
+                    newArgs.add(arg.raw_value);
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                // If using IF, check if we've reached the command + args
-                // so that we don't fill player: or npc: prematurely
-                if (command.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("if")
-                        && DenizenAPI.getCurrentInstance().getCommandRegistry().get(arg.getValue()) != null)
-                    if_ignore = true;
-
-                m = definition_pattern.matcher(arg.getValue());
+                m = definition_pattern.matcher(arg.raw_value);
                 sb = new StringBuffer();
                 while (m.find()) {
                     if (scriptEntry.getResidingQueue().hasContext(m.group(1).toLowerCase()))
@@ -120,6 +117,12 @@ public boolean execute(ScriptEntry scriptEntry) {
                 m.appendTail(sb);
                 arg = aH.Argument.valueOf(sb.toString());
 
+                // If using IF, check if we've reached the command + args
+                // so that we don't fill player: or npc: prematurely
+                if (command.getName().equalsIgnoreCase("if")
+                        && DenizenAPI.getCurrentInstance().getCommandRegistry().get(arg.getValue()) != null)
+                    if_ignore = true;
+
                 // Fill player/off-line player
                 if (arg.matchesPrefix("player") && !if_ignore) {
                     dB.echoDebug("...replacing the linked player.");
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ else if (arg.matchesPrefix("npc, npcid") && !if_ignore) {
                     scriptEntry.setNPC(npc);
                 }
 
-                else newArgs.add(arg.getValue());
+                else newArgs.add(arg.raw_value);
             }
 
             // Add the arguments back to the scriptEntry.
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/core/FlagCommand.java b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/core/FlagCommand.java
index 26c4631bd0..b6485ac068 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/core/FlagCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/aufdemrand/denizen/scripts/commands/core/FlagCommand.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ public void parseArgs(ScriptEntry scriptEntry) throws InvalidArgumentsException
 
         for (aH.Argument arg : aH.interpret(scriptEntry.getArguments())) {
 
+            dB.log(arg.raw_value);
+
             // A duration on a flag will set it to expire after the
             // specified amount of time
             if (!scriptEntry.hasObject("duration")