diff --git a/cue-test.py b/cue-test.py
index 4f82c33..b0edbcf 100644
--- a/cue-test.py
+++ b/cue-test.py
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ class TestSetupForBuild(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_ExtraMakeArgs(self):
         os.environ['EXTRA'] = 'bla'
         for ind in range(1,5):
-            os.environ['EXTRA{0}'.format(ind)] = 'bla {0}'.format(ind)
+            os.environ['EXTRA{0}'.format(ind)] = '"bla {0}"'.format(ind)
         cue.setup_for_build(self.args)
         self.assertTrue(cue.extra_makeargs[0] == 'bla', 'Extra make arg [0] not set')
         for ind in range(1,5):
diff --git a/cue.py b/cue.py
index 235bc76..cac3af2 100644
--- a/cue.py
+++ b/cue.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 
-import sys, os, stat, shutil
+import sys, os, stat, shlex, shutil
 import fileinput
 import logging
 import re
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ def setup_for_build(args):
     for tag in ['EXTRA', 'EXTRA1', 'EXTRA2', 'EXTRA3', 'EXTRA4', 'EXTRA5']:
         val = os.environ.get(tag, "")
         if len(val)>0:
-            extra_makeargs.append(val)
+            extra_makeargs.extend(shlex.split(val))
 
 
 def fix_etc_hosts():