diff --git a/helix-core/src/shellwords.rs b/helix-core/src/shellwords.rs
index 0a8689a8b..ca761e0d7 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/shellwords.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/shellwords.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ pub struct Shellwords<'a> {
 impl<'a> From<&'a str> for Shellwords<'a> {
     fn from(input: &'a str) -> Self {
         use State::*;
-
         let mut state = Unquoted;
         let mut words = Vec::new();
         let mut parts = Vec::new();
@@ -52,30 +51,27 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a str> for Shellwords<'a> {
         let mut end = 0;
 
         for (i, c) in input.char_indices() {
-            if !inside_variable_expansion {
-                if c == '%' {
-                    //%sh{this "should" be escaped}
-                    if let Some(t) = input.get(i + 1..i + 3) {
-                        if t == "sh" {
-                            nested_variable_expansion_count += 1;
-                            inside_variable_expansion = true;
-                        }
+            if c == '%' {
+                //%sh{this "should" be escaped}
+                if let Some(t) = input.get(i + 1..i + 3) {
+                    if t == "sh" {
+                        nested_variable_expansion_count += 1;
+                        inside_variable_expansion = true;
                     }
-                    //%{this "should" be escaped}
-                    if let Some(t) = input.get(i + 1..i + 2) {
-                        if t == "{" {
-                            nested_variable_expansion_count += 1;
-                            inside_variable_expansion = true;
-                        }
+                }
+                //%{this "should" be escaped}
+                if let Some(t) = input.get(i + 1..i + 2) {
+                    if t == "{" {
+                        nested_variable_expansion_count += 1;
+                        inside_variable_expansion = true;
                     }
                 }
-            } else if c == '}' {
+            }
+            if c == '}' {
                 nested_variable_expansion_count -= 1;
                 if nested_variable_expansion_count == 0 {
                     inside_variable_expansion = false;
                 }
-            } else if c == '{' {
-                nested_variable_expansion_count += 1;
             }
 
             state = if !inside_variable_expansion {
@@ -266,6 +262,38 @@ mod test {
         // TODO test is_owned and is_borrowed, once they get stabilized.
         assert_eq!(expected, result);
     }
+    #[test]
+    fn test_expansion() {
+        let input = r#"echo %{filename} %{linenumber}"#;
+        let shellwords = Shellwords::from(input);
+        let result = shellwords.words().to_vec();
+        let expected = vec![
+            Cow::from("echo"),
+            Cow::from("%{filename}"),
+            Cow::from("%{linenumber}"),
+        ];
+        assert_eq!(expected, result);
+
+        let input = r#"echo %{filename} 'world' %{something to 'escape}"#;
+        let shellwords = Shellwords::from(input);
+        let result = shellwords.words().to_vec();
+        let expected = vec![
+            Cow::from("echo"),
+            Cow::from("%{filename}"),
+            Cow::from("world"),
+            Cow::from("%{something to 'escape}"),
+        ];
+        assert_eq!(expected, result);
+        let input = r#"echo %sh{%sh{%{filename}}} cool"#;
+        let shellwords = Shellwords::from(input);
+        let result = shellwords.words().to_vec();
+        let expected = vec![
+            Cow::from("echo"),
+            Cow::from("%sh{%sh{%{filename}}}"),
+            Cow::from("cool"),
+        ];
+        assert_eq!(expected, result);
+    }
 
     #[test]
     #[cfg(unix)]
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index 0ee03705f..661c10560 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -217,22 +217,25 @@ impl MappableCommand {
     pub fn execute(&self, cx: &mut Context) {
         match &self {
             Self::Typable { name, args, doc: _ } => {
-                let args: Vec<Cow<str>> = args.iter().map(Cow::from).collect();
-                if let Some(command) = typed::TYPABLE_COMMAND_MAP.get(name.as_str()) {
-                    let mut cx = compositor::Context {
-                        editor: cx.editor,
-                        jobs: cx.jobs,
-                        scroll: None,
-                    };
-
-                    match cx.editor.expand_variables(&args) {
-                        Ok(args) => {
-                            if let Err(e) = (command.fun)(&mut cx, &args[..], PromptEvent::Validate)
-                            {
-                                cx.editor.set_error(format!("{}", e));
-                            }
+                let mut args: Vec<Cow<str>> = args.iter().map(Cow::from).collect();
+                let joined_args = vec![Cow::from(args.join(" "))];
+                if let Ok(expanded_args) = cx.editor.expand_variables(&joined_args) {
+                    args = expanded_args
+                        .first()
+                        .unwrap()
+                        .split(' ')
+                        .map(Cow::from)
+                        .collect();
+                    if let Some(command) = typed::TYPABLE_COMMAND_MAP.get(name.as_str()) {
+                        let mut cx = compositor::Context {
+                            editor: cx.editor,
+                            jobs: cx.jobs,
+                            scroll: None,
+                        };
+
+                        if let Err(e) = (command.fun)(&mut cx, &args[..], PromptEvent::Validate) {
+                            cx.editor.set_error(format!("{}", e));
                         }
-                        Err(err) => cx.editor.set_error(err.to_string()),
                     }
                 }
             }