diff --git a/externalviewer.cc b/externalviewer.cc
index 262e7d42..37936667 100644
--- a/externalviewer.cc
+++ b/externalviewer.cc
@@ -3,17 +3,18 @@
 
 #include <QDir>
 #include "externalviewer.hh"
+#include "parsecmdline.hh"
 
 using std::vector;
 
 ExternalViewer::ExternalViewer( QObject * parent, vector< char > const & data,
                                 QString const & extension,
-                                QString const & viewerProgram_ )
+                                QString const & viewerCmdLine_ )
     throw( exCantCreateTempFile ):
   QObject( parent ),
   tempFile( QDir::temp().filePath( QString( "gd-XXXXXXXX." ) + extension ) ),
   viewer( this ),
-  viewerProgram( viewerProgram_ )
+  viewerCmdLine( viewerCmdLine_ )
 {
   if ( !tempFile.open() || tempFile.write( &data.front(), data.size() ) != data.size() )
     throw exCantCreateTempFile();
@@ -32,8 +33,17 @@ void ExternalViewer::start() throw( exCantRunViewer )
   connect( &viewer, SIGNAL( error( QProcess::ProcessError ) ),
            this, SLOT( deleteLater() ) );
 
-  viewer.start( viewerProgram, QStringList( tempFileName ), QIODevice::NotOpen );
+  QStringList args = parseCommandLine( viewerCmdLine );
 
-  if ( !viewer.waitForStarted() )
-    throw exCantRunViewer( viewerProgram.toStdString() );
+  if ( !args.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    QString program = args.first();
+    args.pop_front();
+    args.push_back( tempFileName );
+    viewer.start( program, args, QIODevice::NotOpen );
+    if ( !viewer.waitForStarted() )
+      throw exCantRunViewer( viewerCmdLine.toUtf8().data() );
+  }
+  else
+    throw exCantRunViewer( tr( "the viewer program name is empty" ).toUtf8().data() );
 }
diff --git a/externalviewer.hh b/externalviewer.hh
index 6e926e60..ac10cc24 100644
--- a/externalviewer.hh
+++ b/externalviewer.hh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class ExternalViewer: public QObject
 
   QTemporaryFile tempFile;
   QProcess viewer;
-  QString viewerProgram;
+  QString viewerCmdLine;
   QString tempFileName;
 
 public:
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
   DEF_EX_STR( exCantRunViewer, "Couldn't run external viewer:", Ex )
 
   ExternalViewer( QObject * parent, std::vector< char > const & data,
-                  QString const & extension, QString const & viewerProgram )
+                  QString const & extension, QString const & viewerCmdLine )
     throw( exCantCreateTempFile );
 
   // Once this is called, the object will be deleted when it's done, even if
diff --git a/goldendict.pro b/goldendict.pro
index 6790d93b..7c2df17d 100644
--- a/goldendict.pro
+++ b/goldendict.pro
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ HEADERS += folding.hh \
     forvo.hh \
     country.hh \
     about.hh \
-    programs.hh
+    programs.hh \
+    parsecmdline.hh
 FORMS += groups.ui \
     dictgroupwidget.ui \
     mainwindow.ui \
@@ -240,7 +241,8 @@ SOURCES += folding.cc \
     forvo.cc \
     country.cc \
     about.cc \
-    programs.cc
+    programs.cc \
+    parsecmdline.cc
 win32 { 
     SOURCES += mouseover_win32/ThTypes.c
     HEADERS += mouseover_win32/ThTypes.h
diff --git a/parsecmdline.cc b/parsecmdline.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce6ae3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parsecmdline.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#include "parsecmdline.hh"
+
+QStringList parseCommandLine( QString const & commandLine )
+{
+  // Parse arguments. Handle quotes correctly.
+  QStringList args;
+  bool openQuote = false;
+  bool possibleDoubleQuote = false;
+  bool startNew = true;
+  for( QString::const_iterator c = commandLine.begin(),
+       e = commandLine.end(); c != e; )
+  {
+    if ( *c == '"' && !possibleDoubleQuote )
+    {
+      ++c;
+      if ( !openQuote )
+      {
+        openQuote = true;
+        if ( startNew )
+        {
+          args.push_back( QString() );
+          startNew = false;
+        }
+      }
+      else
+        possibleDoubleQuote = true;
+    }
+    else
+    if ( possibleDoubleQuote && *c != '"' )
+    {
+      openQuote = false;
+      possibleDoubleQuote = false;
+    }
+    else
+    if ( *c == ' ' && !openQuote )
+    {
+      ++c;
+      startNew = true;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      if ( startNew )
+      {
+        args.push_back( QString() );
+        startNew = false;
+      }
+      args.last().push_back( *c++ );
+      possibleDoubleQuote = false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return args;
+}
diff --git a/parsecmdline.hh b/parsecmdline.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eda250fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parsecmdline.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef PARSECMDLINE_HH
+#define PARSECMDLINE_HH
+
+#include <QStringList>
+
+/// Given a command line (name of the executable with optional arguments),
+/// separates-out the name and all the arguments into a list. Supports quotes
+/// and double-quotes.
+QStringList parseCommandLine( QString const & );
+
+#endif // PARSECMDLINE_HH
diff --git a/programs.cc b/programs.cc
index 87d9ff6b..1d9927e3 100644
--- a/programs.cc
+++ b/programs.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "htmlescape.hh"
 #include "utf8.hh"
 #include "wstring_qt.hh"
+#include "parsecmdline.hh"
 
 namespace Programs {
 
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ ArticleRequest::ArticleRequest( QString const & word,
                                 Config::Program const & prg_ ):
   prg( prg_ ), process( this )
 {
-  QStringList args = prg.commandLine.split( ' ', QString::SkipEmptyParts );
+  QStringList args = parseCommandLine( prg.commandLine );
 
   if ( !args.empty() )
   {