diff --git a/src/draw.c b/src/draw.c
index 3b07591e..2ed63992 100644
--- a/src/draw.c
+++ b/src/draw.c
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ void print_image()
   if(!has_x) return ;
   if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
   if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
-    Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
-      get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".png -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
+    Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile {",
+      get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".png} -initialdir {", lastdir, "}", NULL);
     r = tclresult();
     if(r[0]) {
       my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
-      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
+      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname {", xctx->plotfile, "}", NULL);
       my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
     }
     else return;
diff --git a/src/psprint.c b/src/psprint.c
index dc88738e..e546553d 100644
--- a/src/psprint.c
+++ b/src/psprint.c
@@ -887,12 +887,12 @@ int ps_draw(int what)
  if(what & 1) { /* prolog */
    if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
    if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
-     Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
-       get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".pdf -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
+     Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile {",
+       get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".pdf} -initialdir {", lastdir, "}", NULL);
      r = tclresult();
      if(r[0]) {
        my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
-       Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
+       Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname {", xctx->plotfile, "}", NULL);
        my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
      }
      else return 0;
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index 87e9a75d..60b80bfe 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ void load_schematic(int load_symbols, const char *filename, int reset_undo) /* 2
       dbg(2, "load_schematic(): loaded file:wire=%d inst=%d\n",xctx->wires , xctx->instances);
       if(load_symbols) link_symbols_to_instances(-1);
       if(reset_undo) {
-        Tcl_VarEval(interp, "is_xschem_file ", xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], NULL);
+        Tcl_VarEval(interp, "is_xschem_file {", xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], "}", NULL);
         if(!strcmp(tclresult(), "SYMBOL")) {
           xctx->save_netlist_type = xctx->netlist_type;
           xctx->netlist_type = CAD_SYMBOL_ATTRS;
diff --git a/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler.c
index d5c3c5c0..4cae4ff4 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler.c
@@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
         return TCL_ERROR;
       }
       if(argc >= 4) {
-        Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file normalize \"", argv[3], "\"", NULL);
+        Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file normalize {", argv[3], "}", NULL);
         my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, Tcl_GetStringResult(interp), S(xctx->plotfile));
       }
 
diff --git a/src/svgdraw.c b/src/svgdraw.c
index dad4d6e1..536d15ad 100644
--- a/src/svgdraw.c
+++ b/src/svgdraw.c
@@ -564,12 +564,12 @@ void svg_draw(void)
   
   if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
   if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
-    Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile ",
-      get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".svg -initialdir ", lastdir, NULL);
+    Tcl_VarEval(interp, "tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile {",
+      get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".svg} -initialdir {", lastdir, "}", NULL);
     r = tclresult();
     if(r[0]) {
       my_strncpy(xctx->plotfile, r, S(xctx->plotfile));
-      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname ", xctx->plotfile, NULL);
+      Tcl_VarEval(interp, "file dirname {", xctx->plotfile, "}", NULL);
       my_strncpy(lastdir, tclresult(), S(lastdir));
     }
     else return;
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index 0a19061c..c915b2fb 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -1910,7 +1910,7 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
 
  /* source tcl file given on command line with --script */
  if(tcl_script[0]) {
-   Tcl_VarEval(interp, "update; source ", tcl_script, NULL);
+   Tcl_VarEval(interp, "update; source {", tcl_script, "}", NULL);
  }
 
  if(quit) {