diff --git a/tools/releasetools/common.py b/tools/releasetools/common.py
index 05c2a4a..f179717 100644
--- a/tools/releasetools/common.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/common.py
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@
 
   args = info_dict.get("mkbootimg_args", None)
   if args and args.strip():
-    cmd.extend(args.split())
+    cmd.extend(shlex.split(args))
 
   cmd.extend(["--ramdisk", ramdisk_img.name,
               "--output", img.name])