diff --git a/sys/man/6/namespace b/sys/man/6/namespace
index 6c40e620c..4515df8c8 100644
--- a/sys/man/6/namespace
+++ b/sys/man/6/namespace
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ subroutines
 which is typically called by
 .IR init (8).
 Each line specifies one name space operation.
-Spaces and tabs separate arguments to operations;
-no quotes or escapes are recognized.
+Spaces and tabs separate arguments to operations.
 Blank lines and lines with
 .B #
 as the first non-space character are ignored.
diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/devproc.c b/sys/src/9/port/devproc.c
index 5fb875f8a..f3761cb17 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/devproc.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/devproc.c
@@ -661,19 +661,19 @@ readns1(Chan *c, Proc *p, char *buf, int nbuf)
 
 	if(bestmid == ~0) {
 		c->nrock = bestmid;
-		i = snprint(buf, nbuf, "cd %s\n", p->dot->path->s);
+		i = snprint(buf, nbuf, "cd %q\n", p->dot->path->s);
 	} else {
 		c->nrock = bestmid+1;
 
 		int2flag(cm->mflag, flag);
 		if(strcmp(cm->to->path->s, "#M") == 0){
 			srv = srvname(cm->to->mchan);
-			i = snprint(buf, nbuf, "mount %s %s %s %s\n", flag,
-				srv==nil? cm->to->mchan->path->s : srv,
-				mh->from->path->s, cm->spec? cm->spec : "");
+			i = snprint(buf, nbuf, (cm->spec && *cm->spec)?
+				"mount %s %q %q %q\n": "mount %s %q %q\n", flag,
+				srv? srv: cm->to->mchan->path->s, mh->from->path->s, cm->spec);
 			free(srv);
 		}else{
-			i = snprint(buf, nbuf, "bind %s %s %s\n", flag,
+			i = snprint(buf, nbuf, "bind %s %q %q\n", flag,
 				cm->to->path->s, mh->from->path->s);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ns.c b/sys/src/cmd/ns.c
index 569009635..4e6181e20 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ns.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ns.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		switch(n){
 		case 2:
 			if(strcmp(av[0], "cd") == 0){
-				Bprint(&stdout, "%s %s\n", av[0], av[1]);
+				Bprint(&stdout, "%s %s\n", av[0], quote(av[1]));
 				continue;
 			}
 			/* fall through */