diff --git a/dotdrop/settings.py b/dotdrop/settings.py
index 0bef2b3..bfc3ae6 100644
--- a/dotdrop/settings.py
+++ b/dotdrop/settings.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Settings(DictParser):
                  upignore=[], cmpignore=[], instignore=[],
                  workdir='~/.config/dotdrop', showdiff=False,
                  minversion=None, func_file=[], filter_file=[],
-                 diff_command='diff -r "{0}" "{1}"'):
+                 diff_command='diff -r {0} {1}'):
         self.backup = backup
         self.banner = banner
         self.create = create
diff --git a/dotdrop/utils.py b/dotdrop/utils.py
index df073e6..689b4db 100644
--- a/dotdrop/utils.py
+++ b/dotdrop/utils.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import os
 import uuid
-import shlex
 import fnmatch
 import inspect
 import importlib
@@ -71,12 +70,19 @@ def shell(cmd, debug=False):
 
 
 def diff(original, modified, raw=True,
-         diff_cmd='diff -r "{0}" "{1}"', debug=False):
+         diff_cmd='diff -r {0} {1}', debug=False):
     """compare two files"""
     if not diff_cmd:
-        diff_cmd = 'diff -r "{0}" "{1}"'
-    cmd = diff_cmd.format(original, modified)
-    _, out = run(shlex.split(cmd), raw=raw, debug=debug)
+        diff_cmd = 'diff -r {0} {1}'
+
+    replacements = {
+        "{0}": original,
+        "{original}": original,
+        "{1}": modified,
+        "{modified}": modified,
+    }
+    cmd = [replacements.get(x, x) for x in diff_cmd.split()]
+    _, out = run(cmd, raw=raw, debug=debug)
     return out