diff --git a/plugins/build-env/pre-build b/plugins/build-env/pre-build
index 28ac78ea0..ca0609d18 100755
--- a/plugins/build-env/pre-build
+++ b/plugins/build-env/pre-build
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ if [[ ! -z "$BUILD_ENV" ]]; then
   echo "-----> Adding BUILD_ENV to build environment..."
   # create build env files for use in buildpacks like this:
   # https://github.com/niteoweb/heroku-buildpack-buildout/blob/5879fa3418f7d8e079f1aa5816ba1adde73f4948/bin/compile#L34
-  id=$(echo $BUILD_ENV |sed 's@export @@g'| docker run -i -a stdin $IMAGE /bin/bash -c "for ENV_VAR in $(cat); do echo \$ENV_VAR |sed 's@^\([^=]*\)=\(.*\)\$@echo \2 >/tmp/env/\1@g' >>/tmp/set_env.sh; done && mkdir -p /tmp/env && /bin/bash /tmp/set_env.sh")
+  id=$(echo $BUILD_ENV |sed 's@export @@g'| docker run -i -a stdin $IMAGE /bin/bash -c "for ENV_VAR in $(cat); do echo \$ENV_VAR |sed 's@^\([^=]*\)=\(.*\)\$@echo \\\"\2\\\" >/tmp/env/\1@g' >>/tmp/set_env.sh; done && mkdir -p /tmp/env && /bin/bash /tmp/set_env.sh")
   test "$(docker wait $id)" -eq 0
   docker commit $id $IMAGE > /dev/null
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/build-env.bats b/tests/unit/build-env.bats
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd062742a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/build-env.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+
+load test_helper
+
+setup() {
+  create_app
+}
+
+teardown() {
+  destroy_app
+}
+
+@test "build-env with special chars" {
+  run dokku config:set $TEST_APP NEWRELIC_APP_NAME="$TEST_APP (Staging)"
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+  deploy_app
+  run dokku config $TEST_APP
+  assert_success
+}