diff --git a/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb b/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
index 22c7bd11a..f4c892911 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ShellExpandGuestPath
         def self.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
           real_path = nil
-          machine.communicate.execute("printf \"#{path}\"") do |type, data|
+          path = path.gsub(/ /, '\ ')
+          machine.communicate.execute("printf #{path}") do |type, data|
             if type == :stdout
               real_path ||= ""
               real_path += data
diff --git a/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb b/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
index 14ae7184d..aee7600fb 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ShellExpandGuestPath
         def self.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
           real_path = nil
-          machine.communicate.execute("printf \"#{path}\"",
+          path = path.gsub(/ /, '\ ')
+          machine.communicate.execute("printf #{path}",
                                       shell: "sh") do |type, data|
             if type == :stdout
               real_path ||= ""
diff --git a/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb b/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
index 653068a78..085866deb 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ShellExpandGuestPath
         def self.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
           real_path = nil
-          machine.communicate.execute("echo; printf \"#{path}\"") do |type, data|
+          path = path.gsub(/ /, '\ ')
+          machine.communicate.execute("echo; printf #{path}") do |type, data|
             if type == :stdout
               real_path ||= ""
               real_path += data
diff --git a/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb b/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
index 007c5f944..52712d84f 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ShellExpandGuestPath
         def self.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
           real_path = nil
-          machine.communicate.execute("printf \"#{path}\"") do |type, data|
+          path = path.gsub(/ /, '\ ')
+          machine.communicate.execute("printf #{path}") do |type, data|
             if type == :stdout
               real_path ||= ""
               real_path += data
diff --git a/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb b/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
index 2a4f8b5ed..9defdff77 100644
--- a/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
+++ b/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ module VagrantPlugins
       class ShellExpandGuestPath
         def self.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
           real_path = nil
-          machine.communicate.execute("printf \"#{path}\"") do |type, data|
+          path = path.gsub(/ /, '\ ')
+          machine.communicate.execute("printf #{path}") do |type, data|
             if type == :stdout
               real_path ||= ""
               real_path += data
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
index fbbc45588..10fc01bf5 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/guests/darwin/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ describe "VagrantPlugins::GuestDarwin::Cap::ShellExpandGuestPath" do
 
     it "returns a path with a space in it" do
       path = "/home/vagrant folder/folder"
+      path_with_spaces = "/home/vagrant\\ folder/folder"
       allow(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).
-        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, "/home/vagrant folder/folder")
+        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, path_with_spaces)
 
-      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf \"#{path}\"")
+      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf #{path_with_spaces}")
       cap.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
index 2f10f8663..334cdd40c 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/guests/freebsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
@@ -33,11 +33,12 @@ describe "VagrantPlugins::GuestFreeBSD::Cap::ShellExpandGuestPath" do
 
     it "returns a path with a space in it" do
       path = "/home/vagrant folder/folder"
+      path_with_spaces = "/home/vagrant\\ folder/folder"
       allow(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).
-        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, "/home/vagrant folder/folder")
+        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, path_with_spaces)
 
       expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute)
-        .with("printf \"#{path}\"", {:shell=>"sh"})
+        .with("printf #{path_with_spaces}", {:shell=>"sh"})
       cap.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
index 0caf4ae1d..b4abb29f6 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/guests/linux/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ describe "VagrantPlugins::GuestLinux::Cap::ShellExpandGuestPath" do
 
     it "returns a path with a space in it" do
       path = "/home/vagrant folder/folder"
+      path_with_spaces = "/home/vagrant\\ folder/folder"
       allow(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).
-        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, "/home/vagrant folder/folder")
+        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, path_with_spaces)
 
-      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("echo; printf \"#{path}\"")
+      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("echo; printf #{path_with_spaces}")
       cap.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
index 49e4e6305..9cd7ca6b6 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/guests/netbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ describe "VagrantPlugins::GuestNetBSD::Cap::ShellExpandGuestPath" do
 
     it "returns a path with a space in it" do
       path = "/home/vagrant folder/folder"
+      path_with_spaces = "/home/vagrant\\ folder/folder"
       allow(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).
-        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, "/home/vagrant folder/folder")
+        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, path_with_spaces)
 
-      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf \"#{path}\"")
+      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf #{path_with_spaces}")
       cap.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb b/test/unit/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
index 1cd787911..89d14dcca 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/guests/openbsd/cap/shell_expand_guest_path_test.rb
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ describe "VagrantPlugins::GuestOpenBSD::Cap::ShellExpandGuestPath" do
 
     it "returns a path with a space in it" do
       path = "/home/vagrant folder/folder"
+      path_with_spaces = "/home/vagrant\\ folder/folder"
       allow(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).
-        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, "/home/vagrant folder/folder")
+        with(any_args).and_yield(:stdout, path_with_spaces)
 
-      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf \"#{path}\"")
+      expect(machine.communicate).to receive(:execute).with("printf #{path_with_spaces}")
       cap.shell_expand_guest_path(machine, path)
     end
   end