diff --git a/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/devstack_local_conf.py b/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/devstack_local_conf.py
index 8df8dea6dd..3a8cd588b9 100644
--- a/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/devstack_local_conf.py
+++ b/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/devstack_local_conf.py
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ class LocalConf(object):
         if localrc:
             vg = VarGraph(localrc)
             for k, v in vg.getVars():
-                self.localrc.append('{}={}'.format(k, v))
+                self.localrc.append('{}="{}"'.format(k, v))
                 if k == 'LIBS_FROM_GIT':
                     lfg = True
                 elif k == 'TEMPEST_PLUGINS':
diff --git a/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/test.py b/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/test.py
index 2900949105..22bf2da55d 100644
--- a/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/test.py
+++ b/roles/write-devstack-local-conf/library/test.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class TestDevstackLocalConf(unittest.TestCase):
             for line in f:
                 if line.startswith('LIBS_FROM_GIT'):
                     lfg = line.strip().split('=')[1]
-        self.assertEqual('oslo.db', lfg)
+        self.assertEqual('"oslo.db"', lfg)
 
     def test_plugin_circular_deps(self):
         "Test that plugins with circular dependencies fail"
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ class TestDevstackLocalConf(unittest.TestCase):
         lc.write(p['path'])
 
         tp = self._find_tempest_plugins_value(p['path'])
-        self.assertEqual('someplugin', tp)
+        self.assertEqual('"someplugin"', tp)
         self.assertEqual(len(lc.warnings), 1)