diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index 7b37b0eb4..8ffc42ed1 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
-#include "Context.h"
-#include "util.h"
-#include "text.h"
-#include "utf8.h"
+#include <Context.h>
+#include <util.h>
+#include <text.h>
+#include <utf8.h>
 
 extern Context context;
 
@@ -59,6 +59,48 @@ void wrapText (
   }
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void splitq (
+  std::vector<std::string>& results,
+  const std::string& input,
+  const char delimiter)
+{
+  results.clear ();
+
+  std::string::size_type start = 0;
+  std::string::size_type i = 0;
+  std::string word;
+  bool in_quote = false;
+  char quote;
+
+  while (utf8_next_char (input, i))
+  {
+    if (in_quote)
+    {
+      if (input[i] == quote)
+      {
+        in_quote = false;
+      }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      if (input[i] == delimiter)
+      {
+        results.push_back (unquoteText (input.substr (start, i - start)));
+        start = i + 1;
+      }
+      else if (input[i] == '\'' ||
+               input[i] == '"')
+      {
+        quote = input[i];
+        in_quote = true;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  results.push_back (unquoteText (input.substr (start)));
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void split (
   std::vector<std::string>& results,
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index dcb3dfd23..dbb04a43e 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ std::string trim (const std::string& in, const std::string& t = " ");
 std::string unquoteText (const std::string&);
 int longestWord (const std::string&);
 void extractLine (std::string&, std::string&, int);
+void splitq (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const char);
 void split (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const char);
 void split (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
 void split_minimal (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const char);
diff --git a/test/text.t.cpp b/test/text.t.cpp
index 6191e5c68..20cf347b4 100644
--- a/test/text.t.cpp
+++ b/test/text.t.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Context context;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
-  UnitTest t (236);
+  UnitTest t (243);
 
   // void wrapText (std::vector <std::string>& lines, const std::string& text, const int width)
   std::string text = "This is a test of the line wrapping code.";
@@ -155,6 +155,17 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
   t.is (items[2], "bc",            "split '-a-bc-def' '--' -> [2] 'bc'");
   t.is (items[3], "def",           "split '-a-bc-def' '--' -> [3] 'def'");
 
+  // void splitq (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const char);
+  unsplit = "one 'two' '' 'three four' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten'";
+  splitq (items, unsplit, ' ');
+  t.is (items.size () , (size_t) 6,  "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten'");
+  t.is (items[0], "one",             "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [0] 'one'");
+  t.is (items[1], "two",             "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [1] 'two'");
+  t.is (items[2], "",                "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [2] ''");
+  t.is (items[3], "three four",      "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [3] 'three four'");
+  t.is (items[4], "five six seven",  "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [4] 'five six seven'");
+  t.is (items[5], "eight'nine ten'", "splitq 'one \\'two\\' \\'\\' \\'three four\\' \"five six seven\" eight'nine ten' -> [4] 'eight\\'nine ten\\''");
+
   // void join (std::string& result, const std::string& separator, const std::vector<std::string>& items)
   std::vector <std::string> unjoined;
   std::string joined;