diff --git a/sbin/devd/devd.cc b/sbin/devd/devd.cc
index e81f718159b1..b2d08324511f 100644
--- a/sbin/devd/devd.cc
+++ b/sbin/devd/devd.cc
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ config::shell_quote(const string &s)
 }
 
 void
-config::expand_one(const char *&src, string &dst)
+config::expand_one(const char *&src, string &dst, bool is_shell)
 {
 	int count;
 	string buffer;
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ config::expand_one(const char *&src, string &dst)
 	do {
 		buffer += *src++;
 	} while (is_id_char(*src));
-	dst.append(shell_quote(get_variable(buffer)));
+	dst.append(is_shell ? shell_quote(get_variable(buffer)) : get_variable(buffer));
 }
 
 const string
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ config::expand_string(const char *src, const char *prepend, const char *append)
 		}
 		dst.append(src, var_at - src);
 		src = var_at;
-		expand_one(src, dst);
+		expand_one(src, dst, prepend == NULL);
 	}
 
 	if (append != NULL)
diff --git a/sbin/devd/devd.hh b/sbin/devd/devd.hh
index 534c4d4c5a9d..d770da22226a 100644
--- a/sbin/devd/devd.hh
+++ b/sbin/devd/devd.hh
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ protected:
 	void sort_vector(std::vector<event_proc *> &);
 	void parse_one_file(const char *fn);
 	void parse_files_in_dir(const char *dirname);
-	void expand_one(const char *&src, std::string &dst);
+	void expand_one(const char *&src, std::string &dst, bool is_shell);
 	std::string shell_quote(const std::string &s);
 	bool is_id_char(char) const;
 	bool chop_var(char *&buffer, char *&lhs, char *&rhs) const;