diff --git a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_venv.py b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_venv.py
index cf0d04c771..e37d7a2e5a 100644
--- a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_venv.py
+++ b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_venv.py
@@ -116,6 +116,45 @@ def test_nested_windows_venv_preserves_base_executable(self):
             assert f"OUTER_BASE {expected_base}" in out, out
             assert f"base-executable = {expected_base}" in out, out
 
+    def test_macos_venv_launcher_with_space_in_command_path(self):
+        if sys.platform != "darwin" or sys.implementation.name != "graalpy":
+            return
+        import venv
+        real_executable = os.path.realpath(sys.executable)
+        real_home = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(real_executable))
+        launcher_template = os.path.join(venv.__path__[0], "scripts", "macos", "graalpy")
+        assert os.path.exists(launcher_template), launcher_template
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="graalpy launcher ") as d:
+            linked_home = os.path.join(d, "home with space")
+            os.symlink(real_home, linked_home)
+            linked_executable = os.path.join(linked_home, "bin", os.path.basename(real_executable))
+            env_dir = os.path.join(d, "venv")
+            bin_dir = os.path.join(env_dir, BINDIR)
+            os.makedirs(bin_dir)
+            env_launcher = os.path.join(bin_dir, "graalpy")
+            shutil.copyfile(launcher_template, env_launcher)
+            os.chmod(env_launcher, 0o755)
+            with open(os.path.join(env_dir, "pyvenv.cfg"), "w", encoding="utf-8") as cfg:
+                cfg.write(f"venvlauncher_command = {linked_executable}\n")
+            with open(os.path.join(env_dir, "pyvenv.cfg"), encoding="utf-8") as cfg:
+                cfg_data = cfg.read()
+            assert f"venvlauncher_command = {linked_executable}" in cfg_data, cfg_data
+            out = subprocess.check_output(
+                [
+                    env_launcher,
+                    "-c",
+                    """if True:
+                    import os, sys
+                    print("Executable", os.path.realpath(sys.executable))
+                    print("Original", __graalpython__.venvlauncher_command)
+                    """,
+                ],
+                stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+                text=True,
+            )
+            assert f"Executable {os.path.realpath(env_launcher)}" in out, out
+            assert f'Original "{linked_executable}"' in out, out
+
     def test_create_and_use_basic_venv(self):
         run = None
         run_output = ''
diff --git a/graalpython/python-macos-launcher/src/venvlauncher.c b/graalpython/python-macos-launcher/src/venvlauncher.c
index 2752ad1bf8..bd018f3f6f 100644
--- a/graalpython/python-macos-launcher/src/venvlauncher.c
+++ b/graalpython/python-macos-launcher/src/venvlauncher.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2025, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * The Universal Permissive License (UPL), Version 1.0
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <wordexp.h>
 #include <mach-o/dyld.h>
 
 #define GRAAL_PYTHON_EXE_ARG "--python.Executable="
@@ -105,11 +106,11 @@ char *get_pyenvcfg_command(const char *pyenv_cfg_path) {
                 exit(1);
             }
             while (isspace((unsigned char) *p)) p++;
+            char *end = p + strlen(p);
+            while (end > p && isspace((unsigned char) end[-1])) {
+                *--end = '\0';
+            }
             if (*p == '\"') {
-                char *end = p + strlen(p);
-                while (end > p && (isspace((unsigned char) end[-1]) || end[-1] == '\n')) {
-                    *--end = '\0';
-                }
                 if (end <= p + 1 || end[-1] != '\"') {
                     fprintf(stderr, "venv command is not in correct format");
                     free(current_line);
@@ -140,38 +141,56 @@ char *get_pyenvcfg_command(const char *pyenv_cfg_path) {
     exit(1);
 }
 
-int count_args(const char *cmd) {
-    char *copy = strdup(cmd);
-    int count = 0;
-    char *token = strtok(copy, " ");
-    while (token) {
-        count++;
-        token = strtok(NULL, " ");
+char **split_venv_command_into_args(const char *venv_command, int *argc_out) {
+    if (access(venv_command, X_OK) == 0) {
+        char **args = malloc(sizeof(char *));
+        if (!args) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "allocation failed\n");
+            exit(1);
+        }
+        args[0] = strdup(venv_command);
+        if (!args[0]) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "allocation failed\n");
+            free(args);
+            exit(1);
+        }
+        *argc_out = 1;
+        return args;
     }
 
-    free(copy);
-    return count;
-}
-
-char **split_venv_command_into_args(const char *venv_command, int *argc_out) {
+    wordexp_t expanded;
+    int rc = wordexp(venv_command, &expanded, WRDE_NOCMD);
+    if (rc != 0 || expanded.we_wordc == 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to parse venvlauncher_command\n");
+        if (rc == 0) {
+            wordfree(&expanded);
+        }
+        exit(1);
+    }
 
-    char *copy = strdup(venv_command);
-    const int capacity = count_args(copy);
+    const int capacity = (int) expanded.we_wordc;
     char **args = malloc(capacity * sizeof(char *));
     if (!args) {
         fprintf(stderr, "allocation failed\n");
-        free(copy);
+        wordfree(&expanded);
         exit(1);
     }
 
     int count = 0;
-    char *current_token = strtok(copy, " ");
-    while (current_token) {
-        args[count++] = strdup(current_token);
-        current_token = strtok(NULL, " ");
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < expanded.we_wordc; i++) {
+        args[count] = strdup(expanded.we_wordv[i]);
+        if (!args[count]) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "allocation failed\n");
+            for (int j = 0; j < count; j++) {
+                free(args[j]);
+            }
+            free(args);
+            wordfree(&expanded);
+            exit(1);
+        }
+        count++;
     }
-
-    free(copy);
+    wordfree(&expanded);
     assert(capacity == count);
     *argc_out = count;
     return args;