diff --git a/teller-cli/fixtures/flow_test_vars.env b/teller-cli/fixtures/flow_test_vars.env
index 8a9b809a..3bd6f0d7 100644
--- a/teller-cli/fixtures/flow_test_vars.env
+++ b/teller-cli/fixtures/flow_test_vars.env
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+FOO="bar baz"
 USER_NAME=linus
diff --git a/teller-cli/tests/snapshots/flow_test__flow-test-dot-0.snap b/teller-cli/tests/snapshots/flow_test__flow-test-dot-0.snap
index 25f1859a..07a05424 100644
--- a/teller-cli/tests/snapshots/flow_test__flow-test-dot-0.snap
+++ b/teller-cli/tests/snapshots/flow_test__flow-test-dot-0.snap
@@ -4,6 +4,31 @@ expression: res
 ---
 Ok(
     [
+        KV {
+            value: "bar baz",
+            key: "FOO",
+            from_key: "FOO",
+            path: Some(
+                PathInfo {
+                    id: "tvars",
+                    path: "fixtures/flow_test_vars.env",
+                },
+            ),
+            provider: Some(
+                ProviderInfo {
+                    kind: Dotenv,
+                    name: "dot_1",
+                },
+            ),
+            meta: Some(
+                MetaInfo {
+                    sensitivity: None,
+                    redact_with: None,
+                    source: None,
+                    sink: None,
+                },
+            ),
+        },
         KV {
             value: "linus",
             key: "USER_NAME",
diff --git a/teller-providers/src/providers/dotenv.rs b/teller-providers/src/providers/dotenv.rs
index ac4fcbdc..eb7ef1f6 100644
--- a/teller-providers/src/providers/dotenv.rs
+++ b/teller-providers/src/providers/dotenv.rs
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ fn save(path: &Path, data: &BTreeMap<String, String>) -> Result<String> {
         };
 
         let value = json_value.unwrap_or_else(|| v.to_string());
-        out.push_str(&format!("{k}={value}\n"));
+        if value.chars().any(char::is_whitespace) && !value.starts_with(['"', '\'']) {
+            out.push_str(&format!("{k}=\"{value}\"\n"));
+        } else {
+            out.push_str(&format!("{k}={value}\n"));
+        }
     }
 
     fs::write(path, &out)?;