diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index b18768ea..e5dbe86e 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ uninstall:
 @endif
 
 test check: $(JIMSH)
-	$(DEF_LD_PATH) $(MAKE) -C tests jimsh=@builddir@/jimsh
+	$(DEF_LD_PATH) $(MAKE) -C tests jimsh="@builddir@/jimsh"
 
 $(OBJS) jimsh.o initjimsh.o: Makefile $(wildcard *.h)
 
diff --git a/auto.def b/auto.def
index 3f2f5a0c..347951ff 100644
--- a/auto.def
+++ b/auto.def
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ switch -glob -- $host_os {
 
 # Find some tools
 cc-check-tools ar ranlib strip
-define tclsh [info nameofexecutable]
+define tclsh [quote-if-needed [info nameofexecutable]]
 
 # We only support silent-rules for GNU Make
 define NO_SILENT_RULES
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.in b/tests/Makefile.in
index e89f2fb0..0d7c63c8 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.in
+++ b/tests/Makefile.in
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 jimsh ?= ../jimsh
 tclsh ?= tclsh
 
-DEF_LD_PATH := @LD_LIBRARY_PATH@="@builddir@:$(@LD_LIBRARY_PATH@)"
-
 test:
-	@$(DEF_LD_PATH) $(jimsh) @abs_top_srcdir@/tests/runall.tcl
+	@LD_LIBRARY_PATH="@builddir@:$(@LD_LIBRARY_PATH@)" "$(jimsh)" "@abs_top_srcdir@/tests/runall.tcl"
 
 tcl:
-	@rc=0; for i in @abs_top_srcdir@/tests/*.test; do $(tclsh) -encoding utf-8 $$i || rc=$?; done; exit $$rc
+	@rc=0; for i in "@abs_top_srcdir@"/tests/*.test; do "$(tclsh)" -encoding utf-8 $$i || rc=$?; done; exit $$rc
 
 clean:
 	rm -f gorp.file2 gorp.file sleepx test1 exec.tmp1
diff --git a/tests/interactive.test b/tests/interactive.test
index d1c29c1b..2e783f9d 100644
--- a/tests/interactive.test
+++ b/tests/interactive.test
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ set env(HOME) [pwd]
 file delete .jim_history
 
 # spawn the process to be used for testing
-set p [expect::spawn [info nameofexecutable]]
+set p [expect::spawn [list [info nameofexecutable]]]
 
 set env $saveenv
 
diff --git a/tests/runall.tcl b/tests/runall.tcl
index a97ecfd0..9ef76b82 100644
--- a/tests/runall.tcl
+++ b/tests/runall.tcl
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ if {[info commands interp] eq ""} {
 			}
 
 			# Run the test
-			catch -exit {$i eval source $script} msg opts
+			catch -exit [list $i eval [list source $script]] msg opts
 			if {[info returncode $opts(-code)] eq "error"} {
 				puts [format "%16s:   --- error ($msg)" $script]
 				incr total(fail)