diff --git a/src/Proc/BufferedObservableProcess.cs b/src/Proc/BufferedObservableProcess.cs
index 7d839c8..f280a0c 100644
--- a/src/Proc/BufferedObservableProcess.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/BufferedObservableProcess.cs
@@ -71,17 +71,16 @@ private IDisposable KickOff(IObserver<CharactersOut> observer)
 			if (!StartProcess(observer)) return Disposable.Empty;
 
 			Started = true;
+			_observer = observer;
 
 			if (Process.HasExited)
 			{
-				Process.ReadStandardErrBlocking(_observer, BufferSize, () => ContinueReadingFromProcessReaders());
-				Process.ReadStandardOutBlocking(_observer, BufferSize, () => ContinueReadingFromProcessReaders());
+				Process.ReadStandardErrBlocking(observer, BufferSize, () => ContinueReadingFromProcessReaders());
+				Process.ReadStandardOutBlocking(observer, BufferSize, () => ContinueReadingFromProcessReaders());
 				OnExit(observer);
 				return Disposable.Empty;
 			}
 
-			_observer = observer;
-
 			StartAsyncReads();
 
 			Process.Exited += (o, s) =>
diff --git a/src/Proc/Extensions/ArgumentExtensions.cs b/src/Proc/Extensions/ArgumentExtensions.cs
index 4cbda3d..aa11417 100644
--- a/src/Proc/Extensions/ArgumentExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/Extensions/ArgumentExtensions.cs
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ public static string NaivelyQuoteArguments(this IEnumerable<string> arguments)
 		if (arguments == null) return string.Empty;
 		var args = arguments.ToList();
 		if (args.Count == 0) return string.Empty;
+
 		var quotedArgs = args
 			.Select(a =>
 			{
 				if (!a.Contains(" ")) return a;
+				if (a.StartsWith("\"")) return a;
 				return $"\"{a}\"";
 			})
 			.ToList();
diff --git a/src/Proc/ObservableProcessBase.cs b/src/Proc/ObservableProcessBase.cs
index 8a30586..6f1b435 100644
--- a/src/Proc/ObservableProcessBase.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/ObservableProcessBase.cs
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ private Process CreateProcess()
 			var processStartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo
 			{
 				FileName = s.Binary,
-				#if !NETSTANDARD2_1 && !NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-				Arguments = args.NaivelyQuoteArguments(),
+				#if STRING_ARGS
+				Arguments = args != null ? string.Join(" ", args) : string.Empty,
 				#endif
 				CreateNoWindow = true,
 				UseShellExecute = false,
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ private Process CreateProcess()
 				RedirectStandardError = true,
 				RedirectStandardInput = true
 			};
-			#if NETSTANDARD2_1 || NET5_0_OR_GREATER
+			#if !STRING_ARGS
 			foreach (var arg in s.Args)
 				processStartInfo.ArgumentList.Add(arg);
 			#endif
diff --git a/src/Proc/Proc.Exec.cs b/src/Proc/Proc.Exec.cs
index b487fdf..1d1766d 100644
--- a/src/Proc/Proc.Exec.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/Proc.Exec.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using ProcNet.Extensions;
 
@@ -26,16 +27,16 @@ public static partial class Proc
 		/// <returns>The exit code of the binary being run</returns>
 		public static int Exec(ExecArguments arguments)
 		{
-			var args = arguments.Args.NaivelyQuoteArguments();
+			var args = arguments.Args?.ToArray() ?? [];
 			var info = new ProcessStartInfo(arguments.Binary)
 			{
 				UseShellExecute = false
 			};
-#if NETSTANDARD2_1 || NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-			foreach (var arg in arguments.Args)
+#if !STRING_ARGS
+			foreach (var arg in args)
 				info.ArgumentList.Add(arg);
 #else
-			info.Arguments = args;
+			info.Arguments = args != null ? string.Join(" ", args) : string.Empty;
 #endif
 
 			var pwd = arguments.WorkingDirectory;
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ public static int Exec(ExecArguments arguments)
 
 			var printBinary = arguments.OnlyPrintBinaryInExceptionMessage
 				? $"\"{arguments.Binary}\""
-				: $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
+				: $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args.NaivelyQuoteArguments()}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
 
 			using var process = new Process { StartInfo = info };
 			if (!process.Start())
diff --git a/src/Proc/Proc.ExecAsync.cs b/src/Proc/Proc.ExecAsync.cs
index 5a006ad..62545f9 100644
--- a/src/Proc/Proc.ExecAsync.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/Proc.ExecAsync.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using ProcNet.Extensions;
@@ -18,12 +19,12 @@ public static partial class Proc
 		/// <returns>The exit code of the binary being run</returns>
 		public static async Task<int> ExecAsync(ExecArguments arguments, CancellationToken ctx = default)
 		{
-			var args = arguments.Args.NaivelyQuoteArguments();
+			var args = arguments.Args?.ToArray() ?? [];
 			var info = new ProcessStartInfo(arguments.Binary)
 			{
 				UseShellExecute = false
 			};
-			foreach (var arg in arguments.Args)
+			foreach (var arg in args)
 				info.ArgumentList.Add(arg);
 
 			var pwd = arguments.WorkingDirectory;
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ public static async Task<int> ExecAsync(ExecArguments arguments, CancellationTok
 
 			var printBinary = arguments.OnlyPrintBinaryInExceptionMessage
 				? $"\"{arguments.Binary}\""
-				: $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
+				: $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args.NaivelyQuoteArguments()}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
 
 			using var process = new Process { StartInfo = info };
 			if (!process.Start()) throw new ProcExecException($"Failed to start {printBinary}");
diff --git a/src/Proc/Proc.StartLongRunning.cs b/src/Proc/Proc.StartLongRunning.cs
index ada85f8..0021afb 100644
--- a/src/Proc/Proc.StartLongRunning.cs
+++ b/src/Proc/Proc.StartLongRunning.cs
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ public static LongRunningApplicationSubscription StartLongRunning(LongRunningArg
 				 var completed = subscription.WaitHandle.WaitOne(waitForStartedConfirmation);
 				 if (completed) return subscription;
 				 var pwd = arguments.WorkingDirectory;
-				 var args = arguments.Args.NaivelyQuoteArguments();
+				 var args = arguments.Args;
 				 var printBinary = arguments.OnlyPrintBinaryInExceptionMessage
 					 ? $"\"{arguments.Binary}\""
-					 : $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
+					 : $"\"{arguments.Binary} {args.NaivelyQuoteArguments()}\"{(pwd == null ? string.Empty : $" pwd: {pwd}")}";
 				 throw new ProcExecException($"Could not yield started confirmation after {waitForStartedConfirmation} while running {printBinary}");
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/Proc/Proc.csproj b/src/Proc/Proc.csproj
index 9d729e4..6bd8bde 100644
--- a/src/Proc/Proc.csproj
+++ b/src/Proc/Proc.csproj
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     <CopyLocalLockFileAssemblies>true</CopyLocalLockFileAssemblies>
     <LangVersion>Latest</LangVersion>
     <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
+    <DefineConstants Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net461' OR '$(TargetFramework)' == 'netstandard2.0'">STRING_ARGS</DefineConstants>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/tests/Proc.Tests/PrintArgsTests.cs b/tests/Proc.Tests/PrintArgsTests.cs
index 3408162..bbf4344 100644
--- a/tests/Proc.Tests/PrintArgsTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Proc.Tests/PrintArgsTests.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public void ProcSendsAllArguments()
 		AssertOutput(testArgs);
 	}
 
+#if NETSTANDARD2_1
 	[Fact]
 	public void ArgumentsWithSpaceAreNotSplit()
 	{
@@ -33,6 +34,20 @@ public void EscapedQuotes()
 		AssertOutput(testArgs);
 	}
 
+#else
+	[Fact]
+	public void EscapedQuotes()
+	{
+		string[] testArgs = ["\"this argument has spaces\"", "hello", "world"];
+		var args = TestCaseArguments("PrintArgs", testArgs);
+		var outputWriter = new TestConsoleOutWriter(output);
+		args.ConsoleOutWriter = outputWriter;
+		var result = Proc.Start(args);
+		result.ExitCode.Should().Be(0);
+		result.ConsoleOut.Should().NotBeEmpty().And.HaveCount(testArgs.Length);
+	}
+#endif
+
 	private void AssertOutput(string[] testArgs)
 	{
 		var args = TestCaseArguments("PrintArgs", testArgs);