diff --git a/bin/spark-sql b/bin/spark-sql
index ad28f5c103a27..61ebd8ab6dec8 100755
--- a/bin/spark-sql
+++ b/bin/spark-sql
@@ -58,31 +58,37 @@ if [[ "$@" = --help ]] || [[ "$@" = -h ]]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
-CLI_ARGS=""
-SUBMISSION_ARGS=""
+CLI_ARGS=()
+SUBMISSION_ARGS=()
 
 while (($#)); do
-  case $1 in 
-    -d | --define | --database | -e | -f | -h | --hiveconf | --hivevar | -i | -p)
+  case $1 in
+    -d | --define | --database | -f | -h | --hiveconf | --hivevar | -i | -p)
       ensure_arg_number $# 2
-      CLI_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
-      CLI_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      CLI_ARGS+=($1); shift
+      CLI_ARGS+=($1); shift
+      ;;
+
+    -e)
+      ensure_arg_number $# 2
+      CLI_ARGS+=($1); shift
+      CLI_ARGS+=(\"$1\"); shift
       ;;
 
     -s | --silent)
-      CLI_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      CLI_ARGS+=($1); shift
       ;;
 
     -v | --verbose)
       # Both SparkSubmit and SparkSQLCLIDriver recognizes -v | --verbose
-      CLI_ARGS+=" $1"
-      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      CLI_ARGS+=($1)
+      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=($1); shift
       ;;
 
     *)
-      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=($1); shift
       ;;
   esac
 done
 
-exec "$FWDIR"/bin/spark-submit --class $CLASS $SUBMISSION_ARGS spark-internal $CLI_ARGS
+eval exec "$FWDIR"/bin/spark-submit --class $CLASS ${SUBMISSION_ARGS[*]} spark-internal ${CLI_ARGS[*]}
diff --git a/sbin/start-thriftserver.sh b/sbin/start-thriftserver.sh
index 65141a0a156d7..603f50ae13240 100755
--- a/sbin/start-thriftserver.sh
+++ b/sbin/start-thriftserver.sh
@@ -58,21 +58,21 @@ if [[ "$@" = --help ]] || [[ "$@" = -h ]]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
-THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS=""
-SUBMISSION_ARGS=""
+THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS=()
+SUBMISSION_ARGS=()
 
 while (($#)); do
   case $1 in
     --hiveconf)
       ensure_arg_number $# 2
-      THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
-      THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS+=($1); shift
+      THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS+=($1); shift
       ;;
 
     *)
-      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=" $1"; shift
+      SUBMISSION_ARGS+=($1); shift
       ;;
   esac
 done
 
-exec "$FWDIR"/bin/spark-submit --class $CLASS $SUBMISSION_ARGS spark-internal $THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS
+eval exec "$FWDIR"/bin/spark-submit --class $CLASS ${SUBMISSION_ARGS[*]} spark-internal ${THRIFT_SERVER_ARGS[*]}