diff --git a/TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.in b/TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.in
index 61f7577d..b7385430 100644
--- a/TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.in
+++ b/TESTS_ENVIRONMENT.in
@@ -91,6 +91,17 @@ check_output() {
     test_num=`expr ${test_num} \+ 1`
 }
 
+check_output_ws() {
+    diff -u - ${test_file_base}_${test_num}.tmp > ${test_file_base}_${test_num}.diff
+    if test $? -ne 0; then
+        echo $LAST_TEST
+        echo $1
+        cat ${test_file_base}_${test_num}.diff
+	    exit 1
+    fi
+    test_num=`expr ${test_num} \+ 1`
+}
+
 test_err_filename() {
     echo ${test_file_base}_${test_num}.err
 }
diff --git a/src/command_executor.cc b/src/command_executor.cc
index e14243c8..ee00b41a 100644
--- a/src/command_executor.cc
+++ b/src/command_executor.cc
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "pcrecpp.h"
 #include "lnav.hh"
 #include "log_format_loader.hh"
+#include "shlex.hh"
 
 #include "command_executor.hh"
 
@@ -328,35 +329,32 @@ string execute_file(const string &path_and_args, bool multiline)
 {
     map<string, vector<string> > scripts;
     map<string, vector<string> >::iterator iter;
-    static_root_mem<wordexp_t, wordfree> wordmem;
+    vector<string> split_args;
     string msg, retval;
+    shlex lexer(path_and_args);
 
     log_info("Executing file: %s", path_and_args.c_str());
 
-    int exp_rc = wordexp(path_and_args.c_str(),
-                         wordmem.inout(),
-                         WRDE_NOCMD | WRDE_UNDEF);
-
-    if (!wordexperr(exp_rc, msg)) {
-        retval = msg;
+    if (!lexer.split(split_args, lnav_data.ld_local_vars.top())) {
+        retval = "error: unable to parse path";
     }
-    else if (wordmem->we_wordc == 0) {
+    else if (split_args.empty()) {
         retval = "error: no script specified";
     }
     else {
         lnav_data.ld_local_vars.push(map<string, string>());
 
-        string script_name = wordmem->we_wordv[0];
+        string script_name = split_args[0];
         map<string, string> &vars = lnav_data.ld_local_vars.top();
         char env_arg_name[32];
         string result, open_error = "file not found";
 
-        snprintf(env_arg_name, sizeof(env_arg_name), "%d", (int) wordmem->we_wordc - 1);
+        snprintf(env_arg_name, sizeof(env_arg_name), "%d", (int) split_args.size() - 1);
 
         vars["#"] = env_arg_name;
-        for (unsigned int lpc = 0; lpc < wordmem->we_wordc; lpc++) {
+        for (unsigned int lpc = 0; lpc < split_args.size(); lpc++) {
             snprintf(env_arg_name, sizeof(env_arg_name), "%d", lpc);
-            vars[env_arg_name] = wordmem->we_wordv[lpc];
+            vars[env_arg_name] = split_args[lpc];
         }
 
         vector<string> paths_to_exec;
diff --git a/src/lnav.cc b/src/lnav.cc
index 63507b10..bacde09a 100644
--- a/src/lnav.cc
+++ b/src/lnav.cc
@@ -1925,7 +1925,7 @@ static void looper(void)
                                     "to switch to the next/previous file"));
                 }
                 if (lnav_data.ld_view_stack.top() == &lnav_data.ld_views[LNV_TEXT] &&
-                    lnav_data.ld_text_source.text_line_count() == 0 &&
+                    lnav_data.ld_text_source.empty() &&
                     lnav_data.ld_log_source.text_line_count() > 0) {
                     textview_curses *tc_log = &lnav_data.ld_views[LNV_LOG];
                     lnav_data.ld_view_stack.pop();
diff --git a/src/lnav_commands.cc b/src/lnav_commands.cc
index 84dd2692..5b5cccb3 100644
--- a/src/lnav_commands.cc
+++ b/src/lnav_commands.cc
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#include <wordexp.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include <string>
@@ -459,15 +458,13 @@ static string com_save_to(string cmdline, vector<string> &args)
 
     fn = trim(remaining_args(cmdline, args));
 
-    static_root_mem<wordexp_t, wordfree> wordmem;
+    vector<string> split_args;
+    shlex lexer(fn);
 
-    int rc = wordexp(fn.c_str(), wordmem.inout(), WRDE_NOCMD | WRDE_UNDEF);
-
-    if (!wordexperr(rc, retval)) {
-        return retval;
+    if (!lexer.split(split_args, lnav_data.ld_local_vars.top())) {
+        return "error: unable to parse arguments";
     }
-
-    if (wordmem->we_wordc > 1) {
+    if (split_args.size() > 1) {
         return "error: more than one file name was matched";
     }
 
@@ -495,7 +492,7 @@ static string com_save_to(string cmdline, vector<string> &args)
         }
     }
 
-    if (strcmp(wordmem->we_wordv[0], "-") == 0) {
+    if (split_args[0] == "-") {
         outfile = stdout;
         if (lnav_data.ld_flags & LNF_HEADLESS) {
             lnav_data.ld_stdout_used = true;
@@ -515,8 +512,8 @@ static string com_save_to(string cmdline, vector<string> &args)
                     args[0].c_str());
         }
     }
-    else if ((outfile = fopen(wordmem->we_wordv[0], mode)) == NULL) {
-        return "error: unable to open file -- " + string(wordmem->we_wordv[0]);
+    else if ((outfile = fopen(split_args[0].c_str(), mode)) == NULL) {
+        return "error: unable to open file -- " + split_args[0];
     }
 
     if (args[0] == "write-csv-to") {
@@ -1306,7 +1303,7 @@ static string com_open(string cmdline, vector<string> &args)
         return retval;
     }
 
-    static_root_mem<wordexp_t, wordfree> wordmem;
+    vector<string> word_exp;
     list<logfile *>::iterator file_iter;
     size_t colon_index;
     int top = 0;
@@ -1314,14 +1311,15 @@ static string com_open(string cmdline, vector<string> &args)
 
     pat = trim(remaining_args(cmdline, args));
 
-    int rc = wordexp(pat.c_str(), wordmem.inout(), WRDE_NOCMD | WRDE_UNDEF);
+    vector<string> split_args;
+    shlex lexer(pat);
 
-    if (!wordexperr(rc, retval)) {
-        return retval;
+    if (!lexer.split(split_args, lnav_data.ld_local_vars.top())) {
+        return "error: unable to parse arguments";
     }
 
-    for (size_t lpc = 0; lpc < wordmem->we_wordc; lpc++) {
-        string fn = wordmem->we_wordv[lpc];
+    for (size_t lpc = 0; lpc < split_args.size(); lpc++) {
+        string fn = split_args[lpc];
 
         if (startswith(fn, "pt:")) {
             lnav_data.ld_pt_search = fn;
diff --git a/src/readline_highlighters.cc b/src/readline_highlighters.cc
index 7ca4ba69..45865a50 100644
--- a/src/readline_highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/readline_highlighters.cc
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@ void readline_shlex_highlighter(attr_line_t &al, int x)
                         &view_curses::VC_STYLE,
                         error_attrs));
                 break;
+            case ST_TILDE:
             case ST_ESCAPE:
                 al.with_attr(string_attr(
                         line_range(cap.c_begin, cap.c_end),
@@ -556,6 +557,8 @@ void readline_shlex_highlighter(attr_line_t &al, int x)
                 }
                 break;
             }
+            case ST_WHITESPACE:
+                break;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/shlex.hh b/src/shlex.hh
index d56f7ec4..c12a240e 100644
--- a/src/shlex.hh
+++ b/src/shlex.hh
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 enum shlex_token_t {
     ST_ERROR,
+    ST_WHITESPACE,
     ST_ESCAPE,
     ST_DOUBLE_QUOTE_START,
     ST_DOUBLE_QUOTE_END,
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ enum shlex_token_t {
     ST_SINGLE_QUOTE_END,
     ST_VARIABLE_REF,
     ST_QUOTED_VARIABLE_REF,
+    ST_TILDE,
 };
 
 class shlex {
@@ -126,6 +128,33 @@ public:
                             break;
                     }
                     break;
+                case '~':
+                    switch (this->s_state) {
+                        case STATE_NORMAL:
+                            cap_out.c_begin = this->s_index;
+                            this->s_index += 1;
+                            cap_out.c_end = this->s_index;
+                            token_out = ST_TILDE;
+                            return true;
+                        default:
+                            break;
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case ' ':
+                case '\t':
+                    switch (this->s_state) {
+                        case STATE_NORMAL:
+                            cap_out.c_begin = this->s_index;
+                            while (isspace(this->s_str[this->s_index])) {
+                                this->s_index += 1;
+                            }
+                            cap_out.c_end = this->s_index;
+                            token_out = ST_WHITESPACE;
+                            return true;
+                        default:
+                            break;
+                    }
+                    break;
                 default:
                     break;
             }
@@ -151,6 +180,9 @@ public:
                 case ST_ESCAPE:
                     result.append(1, this->s_str[cap.c_begin + 1]);
                     break;
+                case ST_WHITESPACE:
+                    result.append(&this->s_str[cap.c_begin], cap.length());
+                    break;
                 case ST_VARIABLE_REF:
                 case ST_QUOTED_VARIABLE_REF: {
                     int extra = token == ST_VARIABLE_REF ? 0 : 1;
@@ -166,6 +198,17 @@ public:
                     }
                     break;
                 }
+                case ST_TILDE: {
+                    const char *home_dir = getenv("HOME");
+
+                    if (home_dir != NULL) {
+                        result.append(home_dir);
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        result.append("~");
+                    }
+                    break;
+                }
                 default:
                     break;
             }
@@ -177,6 +220,74 @@ public:
         return true;
     };
 
+    bool split(std::vector<std::string> &result, const std::map<std::string, std::string> &vars) {
+        result.clear();
+
+        pcre_context::capture_t cap;
+        shlex_token_t token;
+        int last_index = 0;
+        bool start_new = true;
+
+        while (isspace(this->s_str[this->s_index])) {
+            this->s_index += 1;
+        }
+        while (this->tokenize(cap, token)) {
+            if (start_new) {
+                result.push_back("");
+                start_new = false;
+            }
+            result.back().append(&this->s_str[last_index], cap.c_begin - last_index);
+            switch (token) {
+                case ST_ERROR:
+                    return false;
+                case ST_ESCAPE:
+                    result.back().append(1, this->s_str[cap.c_begin + 1]);
+                    break;
+                case ST_WHITESPACE:
+                    start_new = true;
+                    break;
+                case ST_VARIABLE_REF:
+                case ST_QUOTED_VARIABLE_REF: {
+                    int extra = token == ST_VARIABLE_REF ? 0 : 1;
+                    std::string var_name(&this->s_str[cap.c_begin + 1 + extra], cap.length() - 1 - extra * 2);
+                    std::map<std::string, std::string>::const_iterator local_var;
+                    const char *var_value = getenv(var_name.c_str());
+
+                    if ((local_var = vars.find(var_name)) != vars.end()) {
+                        result.back().append(local_var->second);
+                    }
+                    else if (var_value != NULL) {
+                        result.back().append(var_value);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                }
+                case ST_TILDE: {
+                    const char *home_dir = getenv("HOME");
+
+                    if (home_dir != NULL) {
+                        result.back().append(home_dir);
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        result.back().append("~");
+                    }
+                    break;
+                }
+                default:
+                    break;
+            }
+            last_index = cap.c_end;
+        }
+
+        if (last_index < this->s_len) {
+            if (start_new || result.empty()) {
+                result.push_back("");
+            }
+            result.back().append(&this->s_str[last_index], this->s_len - last_index);
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
     void reset() {
         this->s_index = 0;
         this->s_state = STATE_NORMAL;
diff --git a/test/drive_shlexer.cc b/test/drive_shlexer.cc
index db6078f4..2454c548 100644
--- a/test/drive_shlexer.cc
+++ b/test/drive_shlexer.cc
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ using namespace std;
 
 const char *ST_TOKEN_NAMES[] = {
         "err",
+        "wsp",
         "esc",
         "dst",
         "den",
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ const char *ST_TOKEN_NAMES[] = {
         "sen",
         "ref",
         "qrf",
+        "til",
 };
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -84,6 +86,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (lexer.eval(result, map<string, string>())) {
         printf("eval -- %s\n", result.c_str());
     }
+    lexer.reset();
+    std::vector<std::string> sresult;
+    if (lexer.split(sresult, map<string, string>())) {
+        printf("split:\n");
+        for (int lpc = 0; lpc < sresult.size(); lpc++) {
+            printf("  %d -- %s\n", lpc, sresult[lpc].c_str());
+        }
+    }
 
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/test/test_cmds.sh b/test/test_cmds.sh
index 7ae45724..345cb038 100644
--- a/test/test_cmds.sh
+++ b/test/test_cmds.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
 run_test ${lnav_test} -n \
-    -c "|${test_dir}/toplevel.lnav 123 456" \
+    -c "|${test_dir}/toplevel.lnav 123 456 789" \
     ${test_dir}/logfile_access_log.0
 
 check_error_output "include toplevel.lnav" <<EOF
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ EOF
 
 check_output "include toplevel.lnav" <<EOF
 toplevel here 123 456
-nested here nested.lnav abc
+nested here nested.lnav abc 789
 192.168.202.254 - - [20/Jul/2009:22:59:26 +0000] "GET /vmw/cgi/tramp HTTP/1.0" 200 134 "-" "gPXE/0.9.7"
 192.168.202.254 - - [20/Jul/2009:22:59:29 +0000] "GET /vmw/vSphere/default/vmkboot.gz HTTP/1.0" 404 46210 "-" "gPXE/0.9.7"
 192.168.202.254 - - [20/Jul/2009:22:59:29 +0000] "GET /vmw/vSphere/default/vmkernel.gz HTTP/1.0" 200 78929 "-" "gPXE/0.9.7"
diff --git a/test/test_shlexer.sh b/test/test_shlexer.sh
index e43f22ca..c840238b 100644
--- a/test/test_shlexer.sh
+++ b/test/test_shlexer.sh
@@ -5,104 +5,142 @@ export DEF='xyz'
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '$FOO'
 
-check_output "var ref" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "var ref" <<EOF
     \$FOO
 ref ^--^
 eval -- bar
+split:
+  0 -- bar
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '${FOO}'
 
-check_output "var ref" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "var ref" <<EOF
     \${FOO}
 qrf ^----^
 eval -- bar
+split:
+  0 -- bar
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '\a'
 
-check_output "escape" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "escape" <<EOF
     \a
 esc ^^
 eval -- a
+split:
+  0 -- a
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '\'
 
-check_output "error" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "error" <<EOF
     \\
 err ^
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer "'abc'"
 
-check_output "single" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "single" <<EOF
     'abc'
 sst ^
 sen     ^
 eval -- abc
+split:
+  0 -- abc
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '"def"'
 
-check_output "double" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "double" <<EOF
     "def"
 dst ^
 den     ^
 eval -- def
+split:
+  0 -- def
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '"'"'"'"'
 
-check_output "double with single" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "double with single" <<EOF
     "'"
 dst ^
 den   ^
 eval -- '
+split:
+  0 -- '
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer "'"'"'"'"
 
-check_output "single with double" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "single with double" <<EOF
     '"'
 sst ^
 sen   ^
 eval -- "
+split:
+  0 -- "
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '"abc $DEF 123"'
 
-check_output "double w/ref" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "double w/ref" <<EOF
     "abc \$DEF 123"
 dst ^
 ref      ^--^
 den              ^
 eval -- abc xyz 123
+split:
+  0 -- abc xyz 123
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer '"abc ${DEF} 123"'
 
-check_output "double w/ref" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "double w/quoted-ref" <<EOF
     "abc \${DEF} 123"
 dst ^
 qrf      ^----^
-den              ^
+den                ^
 eval -- abc xyz 123
+split:
+  0 -- abc xyz 123
 EOF
 
 run_test ./drive_shlexer "'abc \$DEF 123'"
 
-check_output "single w/ref" <<EOF
+check_output_ws "single w/ref" <<EOF
     'abc \$DEF 123'
 sst ^
 sen              ^
 eval -- abc \$DEF 123
+split:
+  0 -- abc \$DEF 123
 EOF
 
-run_test ./drive_shlexer 'abc $DEF 123'
+run_test ./drive_shlexer 'abc $DEF  123'
 
-check_output "unquoted" <<EOF
-    abc \$DEF 123
+check_output_ws "unquoted" <<EOF
+    abc \$DEF  123
+wsp    ^
 ref     ^--^
-eval -- abc xyz 123
+wsp         ^^
+eval -- abc xyz  123
+split:
+  0 -- abc
+  1 -- xyz
+  2 -- 123
+EOF
+
+run_test ./drive_shlexer '~ foo'
+
+check_output_ws "tilde" <<EOF
+    ~ foo
+til ^
+wsp  ^
+eval -- ../test foo
+split:
+  0 -- ../test
+  1 -- foo
 EOF
diff --git a/test/toplevel.lnav b/test/toplevel.lnav
index c9ded39f..9df522cd 100644
--- a/test/toplevel.lnav
+++ b/test/toplevel.lnav
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 
 :eval :echo toplevel here $1 $2
 
-|nested.lnav abc
+|nested.lnav abc $3