diff --git a/applets/pbot-vm/guest/lib/Languages/_default.pm b/applets/pbot-vm/guest/lib/Languages/_default.pm
index f074af88..46d9eae8 100755
--- a/applets/pbot-vm/guest/lib/Languages/_default.pm
+++ b/applets/pbot-vm/guest/lib/Languages/_default.pm
@@ -101,11 +101,9 @@ sub execute {
     return ($exitval, $stdout, $stderr);
 }
 
-# splits line into quoted arguments while preserving quotes.
-# a string is considered quoted only if they are surrounded by
-# whitespace or json separators.
-# handles unbalanced quotes gracefully by treating them as
-# part of the argument they were found within.
+# splits line into arguments separated by unquoted whitespace.
+# handles unbalanced quotes by treating them as part of the
+# argument they were found within.
 sub split_line {
     my ($self, $line, %opts) = @_;
 
@@ -170,12 +168,10 @@ sub split_line {
         }
 
         if (defined $quote) {
-            if ($ch eq $quote and (not defined $next_ch or $next_ch =~ /[\s,:;})\].+=]/)) {
+            if ($ch eq $quote) {
                 # closing quote
                 $token .= $ch unless $opts{strip_quotes};
-                push @args, $token;
                 $quote = undef;
-                $token = '';
             } else {
                 # still within quoted argument
                 $token .= $ch;
@@ -183,7 +179,7 @@ sub split_line {
             next;
         }
 
-        if (($last_ch =~ /[\s:{(\[.+=]/) and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
+        if (not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
             if ($ignore_quote) {
                 # treat unbalanced quote as part of this argument
                 $token .= $ch;
diff --git a/applets/pbot-vm/host/lib/SplitLine.pm b/applets/pbot-vm/host/lib/SplitLine.pm
index b2ad2d63..f866da76 100644
--- a/applets/pbot-vm/host/lib/SplitLine.pm
+++ b/applets/pbot-vm/host/lib/SplitLine.pm
@@ -13,11 +13,9 @@ no warnings 'experimental::signatures';
 use parent qw(Exporter);
 our @EXPORT = qw(split_line);
 
-# splits line into quoted arguments while preserving quotes.
-# a string is considered quoted only if they are surrounded by
-# whitespace or json separators.
-# handles unbalanced quotes gracefully by treating them as
-# part of the argument they were found within.
+# splits line into arguments separated by unquoted whitespace.
+# handles unbalanced quotes by treating them as part of the
+# argument they were found within.
 sub split_line ($line, %opts) {
     my %default_opts = (
         strip_quotes => 0,
@@ -82,12 +80,10 @@ sub split_line ($line, %opts) {
         }
 
         if (defined $quote) {
-            if ($ch eq $quote and (not defined $next_ch or $next_ch =~ /[\s,:;})\[\].+=]/)) {
+            if ($ch eq $quote) {
                 # closing quote
                 $token .= $ch unless $opts{strip_quotes};
-                push @args, $token;
                 $quote = undef;
-                $token = '';
             } else {
                 # still within quoted argument
                 $token .= $ch;
@@ -95,7 +91,7 @@ sub split_line ($line, %opts) {
             next;
         }
 
-        if (($last_ch =~ /[\s:{(\[.+=]/) and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
+        if (not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
             if ($ignore_quote) {
                 # treat unbalanced quote as part of this argument
                 $token .= $ch;
diff --git a/lib/PBot/Core/Interpreter.pm b/lib/PBot/Core/Interpreter.pm
index d504831f..3298bca5 100644
--- a/lib/PBot/Core/Interpreter.pm
+++ b/lib/PBot/Core/Interpreter.pm
@@ -1180,11 +1180,9 @@ sub extract_bracketed($self, $string, $open_bracket = '{', $close_bracket = '}',
     return ($result, $rest);
 }
 
-# splits line into quoted arguments while preserving quotes.
-# a string is considered quoted only if they are surrounded by
-# whitespace or json separators.
-# handles unbalanced quotes gracefully by treating them as
-# part of the argument they were found within.
+# splits line into arguments separated by unquoted whitespace.
+# handles unbalanced quotes by treating them as part of the
+# argument they were found within.
 sub split_line($self, $line, %opts) {
     my %default_opts = (
         strip_quotes     => 0,
@@ -1252,12 +1250,10 @@ sub split_line($self, $line, %opts) {
         }
 
         if (defined $quote) {
-            if ($ch eq $quote and (not defined $next_ch or $next_ch =~ /[\s,:;})\].+=]/)) {
+            if ($ch eq $quote) {
                 # closing quote
                 $token .= $ch unless $opts{strip_quotes};
-                push @args, $token;
                 $quote = undef;
-                $token = '';
             } else {
                 # still within quoted argument
                 $token .= $ch;
@@ -1265,7 +1261,7 @@ sub split_line($self, $line, %opts) {
             next;
         }
 
-        if (($last_ch =~ /[\s:{(\[.+=,]/) and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
+        if (not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
             if ($ignore_quote) {
                 # treat unbalanced quote as part of this argument
                 $token .= $ch;
diff --git a/lib/PBot/VERSION.pm b/lib/PBot/VERSION.pm
index 22c25c2e..d9ff5356 100644
--- a/lib/PBot/VERSION.pm
+++ b/lib/PBot/VERSION.pm
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ use PBot::Imports;
 # These are set by the /misc/update_version script
 use constant {
     BUILD_NAME     => "PBot",
-    BUILD_REVISION => 4814,
-    BUILD_DATE     => "2024-10-27",
+    BUILD_REVISION => 4815,
+    BUILD_DATE     => "2024-10-29",
 };
 
 sub initialize {}