diff --git a/modules/compiler_vm/languages/_default.pm b/modules/compiler_vm/languages/_default.pm
index 88ff7f06..374777b1 100755
--- a/modules/compiler_vm/languages/_default.pm
+++ b/modules/compiler_vm/languages/_default.pm
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ sub execute {
   $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\r/\r/mg;
   $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\t/\t/mg;
   $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\b/\b/mg;
-  $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\x([a-f0-9]+)/chr hex $1/ige;
-  $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\([0-7]+)/chr oct $1/ge;
+  $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\x([a-f0-9]+)/chr hex $1/igme;
+  $stdin =~ s/(?<!\\)\\([0-7]+)/chr oct $1/gme;
 
   my $pretty_code = $self->pretty_format($self->{code});
 
@@ -1019,9 +1019,11 @@ sub process_interactive_edit {
   $self->{code} = $code;
 }
 
-# splits line into quoted arguments while preserving quotes. handles
-# unbalanced quotes gracefully by treating them as part of the argument
-# they were found within.
+# 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.
 sub split_line {
   my ($self, $line, %opts) = @_;
 
@@ -1041,6 +1043,7 @@ sub split_line {
   my $token = '';
   my $ch = ' ';
   my $last_ch;
+  my $next_ch;
   my $i = 0;
   my $pos;
   my $ignore_quote = 0;
@@ -1065,6 +1068,7 @@ sub split_line {
     }
 
     $ch = $chars[$i++];
+    $next_ch = $chars[$i];
 
     $spaces = 0 if $ch ne ' ';
 
@@ -1084,7 +1088,7 @@ sub split_line {
     }
 
     if (defined $quote) {
-      if ($ch eq $quote) {
+      if ($ch eq $quote and (not defined $next_ch or $next_ch =~ /[\s,:;})\].+=]/)) {
         # closing quote
         $token .= $ch unless $opts{strip_quotes};
         push @args, $token;
@@ -1097,7 +1101,7 @@ sub split_line {
       next;
     }
 
-    if (($last_ch eq ' ' or $last_ch eq ':' or $last_ch eq '(') and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
+    if (($last_ch =~ /[\s:{(\[.+=]/) and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
       if ($ignore_quote) {
         # treat unbalanced quote as part of this argument
         $token .= $ch;
diff --git a/modules/compiler_vm/languages/server/_default.pm b/modules/compiler_vm/languages/server/_default.pm
index f57df31f..83a560c2 100755
--- a/modules/compiler_vm/languages/server/_default.pm
+++ b/modules/compiler_vm/languages/server/_default.pm
@@ -81,9 +81,11 @@ sub execute {
   return ($exitval, $stdout, $stderr);
 }
 
-# splits line into quoted arguments while preserving quotes. handles
-# unbalanced quotes gracefully by treating them as part of the argument
-# they were found within.
+# 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.
 sub split_line {
   my ($self, $line, %opts) = @_;
 
@@ -103,6 +105,7 @@ sub split_line {
   my $token = '';
   my $ch = ' ';
   my $last_ch;
+  my $next_ch;
   my $i = 0;
   my $pos;
   my $ignore_quote = 0;
@@ -127,6 +130,7 @@ sub split_line {
     }
 
     $ch = $chars[$i++];
+    $next_ch = $chars[$i];
 
     $spaces = 0 if $ch ne ' ';
 
@@ -146,7 +150,7 @@ sub split_line {
     }
 
     if (defined $quote) {
-      if ($ch eq $quote) {
+      if ($ch eq $quote and (not defined $next_ch or $next_ch =~ /[\s,:;})\].+=]/)) {
         # closing quote
         $token .= $ch unless $opts{strip_quotes};
         push @args, $token;
@@ -159,7 +163,7 @@ sub split_line {
       next;
     }
 
-    if (($last_ch eq ' ' or $last_ch eq ':' or $last_ch eq '(') and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
+    if (($last_ch =~ /[\s:{(\[.+=]/) and not defined $quote and ($ch eq "'" or $ch eq '"')) {
       if ($ignore_quote) {
         # treat unbalanced quote as part of this argument
         $token .= $ch;