diff --git a/check/check-whitespace b/check/check-whitespace
index 31a413c..c328f74 100755
--- a/check/check-whitespace
+++ b/check/check-whitespace
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ set -e
 
 # expect cflags from whitespace
 ARGS="--cflags whitespace"
-RESULT="-Dlala=misc -I/usr/white\\ space/include -Iinclude\\ dir -Iother\\ include\\ dir"
+RESULT='-Dlala=misc -I/usr/white\ space/include -I$(top_builddir) -Iinclude\ dir -Iother\ include\ dir'
 run_test
 
 # expect libs from whitespace
diff --git a/check/whitespace.pc b/check/whitespace.pc
index 50a8742..693bbc4 100644
--- a/check/whitespace.pc
+++ b/check/whitespace.pc
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ Description: Dummy pkgconfig test package for testing pkgconfig
 Version: 1.0.0
 Requires:
 Libs: -L${libdir} -lfoo\ bar "-lbar baz" -r:foo 
-Cflags: -I${includedir} -Iinclude\ dir "-Iother include dir" -Dlala=misc
+Cflags: -I${includedir} -I$(top_builddir) -Iinclude\ dir "-Iother include dir" -Dlala=misc
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
index 4283a8a..be455cd 100644
--- a/parse.c
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -638,7 +638,9 @@ static char *strdup_escape_shell(const char *s)
 	size_t r_s = strlen(s)+10, c = 0;
 	char *r = g_malloc(r_s);
 	while (s[0]) {
-		if ((s[0] < '+') ||
+		if ((s[0] < '$') ||
+		    (s[0] > '$' && s[0] < '(') ||
+		    (s[0] > ')' && s[0] < '+') ||
 		    (s[0] > ':' && s[0] < '=') ||
 		    (s[0] > '=' && s[0] < '@') ||
 		    (s[0] > 'Z' && s[0] < '^') ||