diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index a12fc5bb..ffc16ec8 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -3,13 +3,16 @@
 exports.split = function (str) {
   var results = [];
   var word = '';
+  var validWord
   for (var i = 0; i < str.length;) {
     if (/\s/.test(str[i])) {
+      //Skips spaces.
       while (i < str.length && /\s/.test(str[i])) {
         i++;
       }
       results.push(word);
       word = '';
+      validWord = false;
       continue;
     }
 
@@ -17,6 +20,27 @@ exports.split = function (str) {
       i++;
       while (i < str.length) {
         if (str[i] === '"') {
+          validWord = true;
+          break;
+        }
+
+        if (str[i] === '\\') {
+          i++;
+          word += str[i++];
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        word += str[i++];
+      }
+      i++;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (str[i] === '\'') {
+      i++;
+      while (i < str.length) {
+        if (str[i] === '\'') {
+          validWord = true;
           break;
         }
 
@@ -37,10 +61,10 @@ exports.split = function (str) {
       word += str[i++];
       continue;
     }
-
+    validWord = true;
     word += str[i++];
   }
-  if (word.length > 0) {
+  if (validWord) {
     results.push(word);
   }
   return results;
diff --git a/test/test-util.js b/test/test-util.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e0e9f71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-util.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+var myUtil = require('../lib/util');
+
+module.exports = {
+  setUp: function (callback) {
+    callback();
+  },
+  testStandard: function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("set key value");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['set', 'key', 'value']));
+    test.done();
+  },
+  testEmptyQuotes: function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("get \"\"");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['get', ""]));
+    test.done();
+  },
+  testQuotedKey: function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("set \"key\" value");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['set', 'key', 'value']));
+    test.done();
+  },
+  testBackslashIgnoresNextCharacter: function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("set \"key\\ name\" value");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['set', 'key name', 'value']));
+    test.done();
+  },
+  testHandlesSingleTicks: function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("set \'keyname\' value");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['set', 'keyname', 'value']));
+    test.done();
+  },
+  testIgnoresUnterminatedStrings : function (test) {
+    var result = myUtil.split("set \"keyname value");
+    test.ok(arraysEqual(result, ['set']));
+    test.done();
+  }
+
+};
+
+function arraysEqual(a1,a2) {
+  return JSON.stringify(a1)==JSON.stringify(a2);
+}
\ No newline at end of file