Index: GrailsBuilder.java
===================================================================
--- GrailsBuilder.java	(revision 39417)
+++ GrailsBuilder.java	(working copy)
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 public class GrailsBuilder extends Builder {
 
+    private static final String quote = "\"";
+
     private final String targets;
     private final String name;
     private String grailsWorkDir;
@@ -233,14 +235,55 @@
         binding.setVariable("env", env);
         binding.setVariable("sys", System.getProperties());
         GroovyShell shell = new GroovyShell(binding);
-        Object result = shell.evaluate("return \"" + target + "\"");
+
+        // make sure the target is in quotes
+        String quotedTarget = getQuotedTarget(target);
+
+        Object result = shell.evaluate("return " + quotedTarget);
         if (result == null) {
             return target;
         } else {
-            return result.toString().trim();
+            String trimmedResult = result.toString().trim();
+
+            // if the original target was passed in with quotes, make sure the result is returned in quotes
+            return isQuoted(target) ? createQuote(trimmedResult) : trimmedResult;
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Helper method that determines if a target is surrounded by quotes
+     * @param target the target to check
+     * @return true if the target string is surrounded by quotes, false otherwise
+     */
+    static boolean isQuoted(String target) {
+
+        boolean hasQuotes = target.substring(0, 1).compareTo(quote) == 0 &&
+                            target.substring(target.length() - 1).compareTo(quote) == 0;
+
+        return hasQuotes;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets a the target surrounded by quotes. If it is already surrounded by quotes, this won't add more quotes.
+     * @param target the target you wish to ensure is surrounded by quotes
+     * @return the target string, surrounded by quotes
+     */
+    static String getQuotedTarget(String target) {
+
+        String quotedTarget = isQuoted(target) ? target : createQuote(target);
+
+        return quotedTarget;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Surrounds the given string with quotes
+     * @param str the string to surround with quotes
+     * @return the given string with quotes around it
+     */
+    static String createQuote(String str) {
+        return quote + str + quote;
+    }
+
     protected List<String[]> getTargetsToRun() {
         List<String[]> targetsToRun = new ArrayList<String[]>();
         if(forceUpgrade) {
@@ -256,6 +299,14 @@
                 String[] targets = jsapResult.getStringArray("targets");
                 for (String targetAndArgs : targets) {
                     String[] pieces = targetAndArgs.split(" ");
+
+                    // get rid of the escape characters
+                    List<String> unescapedPieces = new ArrayList<String>();
+                    for (String piece : pieces) {
+                        String unescapedPiece = piece.replace("\\\\\\\"", "\"");
+                        unescapedPieces.add(unescapedPiece);
+                    }
+                    unescapedPieces.toArray(pieces);
                     targetsToRun.add(pieces);
                 }
             } catch (Exception e) {