diff --git a/addon/YaCy.app/Contents/MacOS/startYACYMacOS.sh b/addon/YaCy.app/Contents/MacOS/startYACYMacOS.sh
index 692ec913f..dc2db54cd 100755
--- a/addon/YaCy.app/Contents/MacOS/startYACYMacOS.sh
+++ b/addon/YaCy.app/Contents/MacOS/startYACYMacOS.sh
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@
 # This data directory is set in conforming to OS X File System Programming Guide 
 # see : https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/MacOSXDirectories/MacOSXDirectories.html
 
-"`dirname $0`"/startYACY.sh -s "'Library/Application Support/net.yacy.YaCy'"
+"`dirname $0`"/startYACY.sh -s 'Library/Application Support/net.yacy.YaCy'
diff --git a/startYACY.sh b/startYACY.sh
index fe283000e..33ebefc51 100755
--- a/startYACY.sh
+++ b/startYACY.sh
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ done
 
 if [ ! -z "$parameter" ] && [ "$STARTUP" -eq 1 -o "$GUI" -eq 1 ]; then
     # The data path is explicitely provided with startup or gui option
-    YACY_PARENT_DATA_PATH="`echo $parameter | cut -d' ' -f1`"
+    YACY_PARENT_DATA_PATH=$parameter
     if [ ! "`echo $YACY_PARENT_DATA_PATH | cut -c1`" = "/" ]; then
         # Parent DATA path is relative to the user home
         YACY_PARENT_DATA_PATH="$HOME/$YACY_PARENT_DATA_PATH"
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ fi
 #turn on MMap for Solr if OS is a 64bit OS
 if [ -n "`uname -m | grep 64`" ]; then JAVA_ARGS="$JAVA_ARGS -Dsolr.directoryFactory=solr.MMapDirectoryFactory"; fi
 
-if [ -f $CONFIGFILE ]
+if [ -f "$CONFIGFILE" ]
 then
     # startup memory
 
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ then
     then
         # When YACY_JAVASTART_XMX is not set or empty:
         # Read from $CONFIGFILE
-        j="`grep javastart_Xmx $CONFIGFILE | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
+        j="`grep javastart_Xmx "$CONFIGFILE" | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
         if [ -n "$j" ]; then JAVA_ARGS="-$j $JAVA_ARGS"; fi;
     else
         # use the YACY_JAVASTART_XMX variable
@@ -200,14 +200,14 @@ then
     fi
 
     # Priority
-    j="`grep javastart_priority $CONFIGFILE | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
+    j="`grep javastart_priority "$CONFIGFILE" | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
 
     if [ -n "$j" ]; then JAVA="nice -n $j $JAVA"; fi;
 
-    PORT="`grep ^port= $CONFIGFILE | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
+    PORT="`grep ^port= "$CONFIGFILE" | sed 's/^[^=]*=//'`";
     if [ -z "$PORT" ]; then PORT="8090"; fi;
     
-#    for i in `grep javastart $CONFIGFILE`;do
+#    for i in `grep javastart "$CONFIGFILE"`;do
 #        i="${i#javastart_*=}";
 #        JAVA_ARGS="-$i $JAVA_ARGS";
 #    done
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ cmdline="$JAVA $JAVA_ARGS -classpath $CLASSPATH net.yacy.yacy";
 
 if [ $STARTUP -eq 1 ] #startup
 then
-    cmdline="$cmdline -startup $parameter"
+    cmdline="$cmdline -startup \"$parameter\""
 elif [ $GUI -eq 1 ];then #gui
     cmdline="$cmdline -gui $parameter"
 fi