diff --git a/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/environment-project b/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/environment-project
index 050358215..839ccf2c2 100755
--- a/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/environment-project
+++ b/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/environment-project
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ function load_properties() {
       then
         unset ${key}
       else
+        if [ "${value:0:1}" != "(" ]
+        then
+          value=\"${value}\"
+        fi
         eval ${key}=${value}
-        #echo "${key}=${!key}"
         if [ "${export}" = "true" ]
         then
           export ${key}
diff --git a/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/functions b/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/functions
index d39c85b44..e2aba4aec 100755
--- a/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/functions
+++ b/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/functions
@@ -601,8 +601,11 @@ function doLoadProperties() {
       then
         unset ${key}
       else
+        if [ "${value:0:1}" != "(" ]
+        then
+          value=\"${value}\"
+        fi
         eval ${key}=${value}
-        #echo "${key}=${!key}"
         if [ "${export}" = "true" ]
         then
           export ${key}
@@ -614,7 +617,9 @@ function doLoadProperties() {
 
 if [ -z "${DEVON_IDE_HOME}" ]
 then
-  DEVON_IDE_HOME="`dirname ${BASH_SOURCE:-$0}`/.."
+  cd "$(dirname ${BASH_SOURCE:-$0})/.."
+  DEVON_IDE_HOME="${PWD}"
+  cd - > /dev/null
   echo "DEVON_IDE_HOME variable set to ${DEVON_IDE_HOME}"
 fi
 doLoadProperties "${DEVON_IDE_HOME}/scripts/devon.properties"