Index: nse_main.lua
===================================================================
--- nse_main.lua	(revision 13398)
+++ nse_main.lua	(working copy)
@@ -54,17 +54,19 @@
 local traceback = debug.traceback;
 
 local byte = string.byte;
+local find = string.find;
 local format = string.format;
-local find = string.find;
 local gsub = string.gsub;
 local lower = string.lower;
 local match = string.match;
 
+local concat = table.concat;
 local insert = table.insert;
 local remove = table.remove;
 local sort = table.sort;
 
 local nmap = require "nmap";
+local lpeg = require "lpeg"
 
 local cnse, rules = ...; -- The NSE C library and Script Rules
 
@@ -490,11 +492,39 @@
   progress "endTask";
 end
 
-do -- Load script arguments
-  local args = gsub((cnse.scriptargs or ""), "=([%w_]+)", "=\"%1\"");
-  local argsf, err = loadstring("return {"..args.."}", "Script Arguments");
+do -- Load script arguments (--script-args)
+  local given_args = cnse.scriptargs or "";
+
+  local space = lpeg.locale()space^0;
+  local V, P, S, C, Cc = lpeg.V, lpeg.P, lpeg.S, lpeg.C, lpeg.Cc;
+
+  local parse_args = lpeg.Ct {
+    "table",
+
+    table = space * C "{" * V "value_list" * C "}",
+
+    value_list = space * (V "kv" + V "av") * space *
+                 ((C "," * space * (#P "}" + V "value_list")) + #P "}"),
+
+    kv = Cc "[" * V "string" * Cc "]" * space * C "=" * space *
+         (V "table" + V "string"),
+
+    av = V "table" + V "string",
+
+    string = V "qstring" + V "uqstring",
+
+    qstring = C "'" * (C "\\'" + P "\\" / "\\\\" + C(1) - P "'")^0 * C "'"+
+              C '"' * (C '\\"' + P "\\" / "\\\\" + C(1) - P '"')^0 * C '"',
+
+    uqstring = Cc "'" *
+               (P "'" / "\\'" + P "\\" / "\\\\" + C(1) - S ",}= ")^1 *
+               Cc "'",
+  };
+
+  local args = concat(parse_args:match("{"..args.."}"));
+  local argsf, err = loadstring("return "..args, "Script Arguments");
   if not argsf then
-    error("failed to parse --script-args:\n"..args.."\n"..err);
+    error("failed to parse --script-args:\n"..given_args.."\n"..err);
   else
     nmap.registry.args = argsf();
   end