diff --git a/docs/src/development/vhs/doubleQuoteOpen/out/doubleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii b/docs/src/development/vhs/doubleQuoteOpen/out/doubleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
index cfa2153f6..c8c37893f 100644
--- a/docs/src/development/vhs/doubleQuoteOpen/out/doubleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
+++ b/docs/src/development/vhs/doubleQuoteOpen/out/doubleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-> example action embeddedP1 "embeddedP2\ with\ space
+> example action embeddedP1 "embeddedP2\ with\ space"
 
 
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-> example action embeddedP1 "embeddedP2\ with\ space
+> example action embeddedP1 "embeddedP2\ with\ space"
 
 
 
diff --git a/docs/src/development/vhs/singleQuoteOpen/out/singleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii b/docs/src/development/vhs/singleQuoteOpen/out/singleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
index b457ac7aa..eddcf4c0b 100644
--- a/docs/src/development/vhs/singleQuoteOpen/out/singleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
+++ b/docs/src/development/vhs/singleQuoteOpen/out/singleQuoteOpen.zsh.ascii
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-> example action embeddedP1 'embeddedP2\ with\ space
+> example action embeddedP1 'embeddedP2\ with\ space'
 
 
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-> example action embeddedP1 'embeddedP2\ with\ space
+> example action embeddedP1 'embeddedP2\ with\ space'
 
 
 
diff --git a/example/cmd/_test/zsh.sh b/example/cmd/_test/zsh.sh
index b2eee982a..51d18578c 100644
--- a/example/cmd/_test/zsh.sh
+++ b/example/cmd/_test/zsh.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ function _example_completion {
   if echo ${words}"''" | xargs echo 2>/dev/null > /dev/null; then
     local lines="$(echo ${words}"''" | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs example _carapace zsh )"
   elif echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | xargs echo 2>/dev/null > /dev/null; then
-    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs example _carapace zsh)"
+    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | CARAPACE_STATE=QUOTING_STATE CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs example _carapace zsh)"
   else
-    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed 's/$/"/' | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs example _carapace zsh)"
+    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed 's/$/"/' | CARAPACE_STATE=QUOTING_ESCAPING_STATE CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs example _carapace zsh)"
   fi
 
   local zstyle message data
diff --git a/internal/env/env.go b/internal/env/env.go
index 54edee6cc..5534535a3 100644
--- a/internal/env/env.go
+++ b/internal/env/env.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
+	shlex "github.com/carapace-sh/carapace-shlex"
 	"github.com/carapace-sh/carapace/internal/common"
 )
 
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ const (
 	CARAPACE_MATCH         = "CARAPACE_MATCH"         // match case insensitive
 	CARAPACE_NOSPACE       = "CARAPACE_NOSPACE"       // nospace suffixes
 	CARAPACE_SANDBOX       = "CARAPACE_SANDBOX"       // mock context for sandbox tests
+	CARAPACE_STATE         = "CARAPACE_STATE"         // current word state
 	CARAPACE_TOOLTIP       = "CARAPACE_TOOLTIP"       // enable tooltip style
 	CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS = "CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS" // zsh hash directories
 	CLICOLOR               = "CLICOLOR"               // disable color
@@ -76,6 +78,17 @@ func Tooltip() bool {
 	return getBool(CARAPACE_TOOLTIP)
 }
 
+func State() shlex.LexerState {
+	switch os.Getenv(CARAPACE_STATE) {
+	case "QUOTING_STATE":
+		return shlex.QUOTING_STATE
+	case "QUOTING_ESCAPING_STATE":
+		return shlex.QUOTING_ESCAPING_STATE
+	default:
+		return shlex.START_STATE
+	}
+}
+
 func getBool(s string) bool {
 	switch os.Getenv(s) {
 	case "true", "1":
diff --git a/internal/shell/zsh/action.go b/internal/shell/zsh/action.go
index ff258992d..4ce3d6898 100644
--- a/internal/shell/zsh/action.go
+++ b/internal/shell/zsh/action.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
+	shlex "github.com/carapace-sh/carapace-shlex"
 	"github.com/carapace-sh/carapace/internal/common"
+	"github.com/carapace-sh/carapace/internal/env"
 )
 
 var sanitizer = strings.NewReplacer(
@@ -63,6 +65,16 @@ func ActionRawValues(currentWord string, meta common.Meta, values common.RawValu
 			val.Value = quoteValue(val.Value)
 			val.Value = strings.ReplaceAll(val.Value, `\`, `\\`) // TODO find out why `_describe` needs another backslash
 			val.Value = strings.ReplaceAll(val.Value, `:`, `\:`) // TODO find out why `_describe` needs another backslash
+
+			switch env.State() {
+			// TODO depending on state value needs to be formatted differently
+			// TODO backspace strings are currently an issue
+			case shlex.QUOTING_STATE:
+				val.Value = val.Value + `'`
+			case shlex.QUOTING_ESCAPING_STATE:
+				val.Value = val.Value + `"`
+			}
+
 			if !meta.Nospace.Matches(val.Value) {
 				val.Value = val.Value + " "
 			}
diff --git a/internal/shell/zsh/snippet.go b/internal/shell/zsh/snippet.go
index f2accd495..a116df03e 100644
--- a/internal/shell/zsh/snippet.go
+++ b/internal/shell/zsh/snippet.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ function _%v_completion {
   if echo ${words}"''" | xargs echo 2>/dev/null > /dev/null; then
     local lines="$(echo ${words}"''" | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs %v _carapace zsh )"
   elif echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | xargs echo 2>/dev/null > /dev/null; then
-    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs %v _carapace zsh)"
+    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed "s/\$/'/" | CARAPACE_STATE=QUOTING_STATE CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs %v _carapace zsh)"
   else
-    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed 's/$/"/' | CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs %v _carapace zsh)"
+    local lines="$(echo ${words} | sed 's/$/"/' | CARAPACE_STATE=QUOTING_ESCAPING_STATE CARAPACE_ZSH_HASH_DIRS="$(hash -d)" xargs %v _carapace zsh)"
   fi
 
   local zstyle message data