diff --git a/mod.test.ts b/mod.test.ts
index 74cfd2b..21ee04f 100644
--- a/mod.test.ts
+++ b/mod.test.ts
@@ -1265,8 +1265,11 @@ Deno.test("copy test", async () => {
       "cp: target 'non-existent' is not a directory\n",
     );
 
-    assertEquals(await getStdErr($`cp "" ""`), "cp: missing file operand\n");
-    assertStringIncludes(await getStdErr($`cp ${file1} ""`), "cp: missing destination file operand after");
+    assertEquals(await getStdErr($`cp`), "cp: missing file operand\n");
+    assertStringIncludes(await getStdErr($`cp ${file1}`), "cp: missing destination file operand after");
+
+    assertEquals(await getStdErr($`cp`), "cp: missing file operand\n");
+    assertStringIncludes(await getStdErr($`cp ${file1}`), "cp: missing destination file operand after");
 
     // recursive test
     destDir.join("sub_dir").mkdirSync();
@@ -1331,8 +1334,8 @@ Deno.test("move test", async () => {
       "mv: target 'non-existent' is not a directory\n",
     );
 
-    assertEquals(await getStdErr($`mv "" ""`), "mv: missing operand\n");
-    assertStringIncludes(await getStdErr($`mv ${file1} ""`), "mv: missing destination file operand after");
+    assertEquals(await getStdErr($`mv`), "mv: missing operand\n");
+    assertStringIncludes(await getStdErr($`mv ${file1}`), "mv: missing destination file operand after");
   });
 });
 
@@ -1648,6 +1651,11 @@ Deno.test("ensure KillSignalController readme example works", async () => {
   assert(endTime - startTime < 1000);
 });
 
+Deno.test("should support empty quoted string", async () => {
+  const output = await $`echo '' test ''`.text();
+  assertEquals(output, " test ");
+});
+
 function ensurePromiseNotResolved(promise: Promise<unknown>) {
   return new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
     promise.then(() => reject(new Error("Promise was resolved")));
diff --git a/src/shell.ts b/src/shell.ts
index 1eb52c5..45977e3 100644
--- a/src/shell.ts
+++ b/src/shell.ts
@@ -838,10 +838,11 @@ async function evaluateWord(word: Word, context: Context) {
   return result.join(" ");
 }
 
-async function evaluateWordParts(wordParts: WordPart[], context: Context) {
+async function evaluateWordParts(wordParts: WordPart[], context: Context, quoted = false) {
   // not implemented mostly, and copying from deno_task_shell
   const result: string[] = [];
   let currentText = "";
+  let hasQuoted = false;
   for (const stringPart of wordParts) {
     let evaluationResult: string | undefined = undefined;
     switch (stringPart.kind) {
@@ -852,8 +853,9 @@ async function evaluateWordParts(wordParts: WordPart[], context: Context) {
         evaluationResult = context.getVar(stringPart.value); // value is name
         break;
       case "quoted": {
-        const text = (await evaluateWordParts(stringPart.value, context)).join(" ");
+        const text = (await evaluateWordParts(stringPart.value, context, true)).join("");
         currentText += text;
+        hasQuoted = true;
         continue;
       }
       case "command":
@@ -862,26 +864,30 @@ async function evaluateWordParts(wordParts: WordPart[], context: Context) {
     }
 
     if (evaluationResult != null) {
-      const parts = evaluationResult.split(" ")
-        .map((t) => t.trim())
-        .filter((t) => t.length > 0);
-      if (parts.length > 0) {
-        // append the first part to the current text
-        currentText += parts[0];
-
-        // store the current text
-        result.push(currentText);
-
-        // store all the rest of the parts
-        result.push(...parts.slice(1));
-
-        // use the last part as the current text so it maybe
-        // gets appended to in the future
-        currentText = result.pop()!;
+      if (quoted) {
+        currentText += evaluationResult;
+      } else {
+        const parts = evaluationResult.split(" ")
+          .map((t) => t.trim())
+          .filter((t) => t.length > 0);
+        if (parts.length > 0) {
+          // append the first part to the current text
+          currentText += parts[0];
+
+          // store the current text
+          result.push(currentText);
+
+          // store all the rest of the parts
+          result.push(...parts.slice(1));
+
+          // use the last part as the current text so it maybe
+          // gets appended to in the future
+          currentText = result.pop()!;
+        }
       }
     }
   }
-  if (currentText.length !== 0) {
+  if (hasQuoted || currentText.length !== 0) {
     result.push(currentText);
   }
   return result;