diff --git a/clients/cli/connections.c b/clients/cli/connections.c
index 3e5ed4f5d..416a4eea7 100644
--- a/clients/cli/connections.c
+++ b/clients/cli/connections.c
@@ -2472,7 +2472,7 @@ do_connection_down (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		if (nmc->ask) {
 			line = nmc_readline (PROMPT_CONNECTION);
-			nmc_string_to_arg_array (line, "", &arg_arr, &arg_num);
+			nmc_string_to_arg_array (line, "", TRUE, &arg_arr, &arg_num);
 			arg_ptr = arg_arr;
 		}
 		if (arg_num == 0) {
@@ -8869,7 +8869,7 @@ do_connection_delete (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		if (nmc->ask) {
 			line = nmc_readline (PROMPT_CONNECTION);
-			nmc_string_to_arg_array (line, "", &arg_arr, &arg_num);
+			nmc_string_to_arg_array (line, "", TRUE, &arg_arr, &arg_num);
 			arg_ptr = arg_arr;
 		}
 		if (arg_num == 0) {
diff --git a/clients/cli/utils.c b/clients/cli/utils.c
index ab591d956..1cbf611e2 100644
--- a/clients/cli/utils.c
+++ b/clients/cli/utils.c
@@ -547,17 +547,34 @@ nmc_get_user_input (const char *ask_str)
  * Split string in 'line' according to 'delim' to (argument) array.
  */
 int
-nmc_string_to_arg_array (const char *line, const char *delim, char ***argv, int *argc)
+nmc_string_to_arg_array (const char *line, const char *delim, gboolean unquote,
+                         char ***argv, int *argc)
 {
-	int i = 0;
 	char **arr;
 
-	arr = g_strsplit_set (line ? line : "", delim ? delim : " \t", 0);
-	while (arr && arr[i])
-		i++;
+	arr = nmc_strsplit_set (line ? line : "", delim ? delim : " \t", 0);
+
+	if (unquote) {
+		int i = 0;
+		char *s;
+		size_t l;
+		const char *quotes = "\"'";
+
+		while (arr && arr[i]) {
+			s = arr[i];
+			l = strlen (s);
+			if (l >= 2) {
+				if (strchr (quotes, s[0]) && s[l-1] == s[0]) {
+					memmove (s, s+1, l-2);
+					s[l-2] = '\0';
+				}
+			}
+			i++;
+		}
+	}
 
-	*argc = i;
 	*argv = arr;
+	*argc = g_strv_length (arr);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/clients/cli/utils.h b/clients/cli/utils.h
index 949867f0a..3088846e5 100644
--- a/clients/cli/utils.h
+++ b/clients/cli/utils.h
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ char *nmc_colorize (NmcTermColor color, NmcTermFormat format, const char * fmt,
 void nmc_filter_out_colors_inplace (char *str);
 char *nmc_filter_out_colors (const char *str);
 char *nmc_get_user_input (const char *ask_str);
-int nmc_string_to_arg_array (const char *line, const char *delim, char ***argv, int *argc);
+int nmc_string_to_arg_array (const char *line, const char *delim, gboolean unquote,
+                             char ***argv, int *argc);
 const char *nmc_string_is_valid (const char *input, const char **allowed, GError **error);
 GSList *nmc_util_strv_to_slist (char **strv);
 char * nmc_util_strv_for_display (const char **strv);