diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fe628e0..8ac6467 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 PROG		= pkgconf${PROG_SUFFIX}
-SRCS		= main.c parse.c pkg.c bsdstubs.c getopt_long.c
+SRCS		= main.c parse.c pkg.c bsdstubs.c getopt_long.c argvsplit.c
 
 include buildsys.mk
 
diff --git a/argvsplit.c b/argvsplit.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c99b27a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/argvsplit.c
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/*
+ * argvsplit.c
+ * argv_split() routine
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2012 William Pitcock <nenolod@dereferenced.org>.
+ *
+ * Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+ * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+ * copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+ * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+ * DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,
+ * INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+ * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
+ * SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+ * HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+ * STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING
+ * IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
+ * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "pkg.h"
+
+int argv_split(const char *src, int *argc, char ***argv)
+{
+	char *buf = malloc(strlen(src) + 1);
+	const char *src_iter;
+	char *dst_iter;
+	int argc_count = 0;
+	int argv_size = 5;
+	char quote = 0;
+
+	src_iter = src;
+	dst_iter = buf;
+
+	bzero(buf, strlen(src) + 1);
+
+	*argv = calloc(sizeof (void *), argv_size);
+	(*argv)[argc_count] = dst_iter;
+
+	while (*src_iter)
+	{
+		if (quote == *src_iter)
+			quote = 0;
+		else if (quote)
+		{
+			if (*src_iter == '\\')
+			{
+				src_iter++;
+				if (!*src_iter)
+				{
+					free(*argv);
+					free(buf);
+					return -1;
+				}
+
+				if (*src_iter != quote)
+					*dst_iter++ = '\\';
+			}
+			*dst_iter++ = *src_iter;
+		}
+		else if (isspace(*src_iter))
+		{
+			if (*(src_iter - 2) != '-' && (*argv)[argc_count] != NULL)
+			{
+				argc_count++, dst_iter++;
+
+				if (argc_count == argv_size)
+				{
+					argv_size += 5;
+					*argv = realloc(*argv, sizeof(void *) * argv_size);
+				}
+
+				(*argv)[argc_count] = dst_iter;
+			}
+		}
+		else switch(*src_iter)
+		{
+			case '"':
+			case '\'':
+				quote = *src_iter;
+				break;
+
+			case '\\':
+				src_iter++;
+
+				if (!*src_iter)
+				{
+					free(argv);
+					free(buf);
+					return -1;
+				}
+			default:
+				*dst_iter++ = *src_iter;
+				break;
+		}
+
+		src_iter++;
+	}
+
+	if (strlen((*argv)[argc_count])) {
+		argc_count++;
+	}
+
+	*argc = argc_count;
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/pkg.h b/pkg.h
index 1564df4..a83950e 100644
--- a/pkg.h
+++ b/pkg.h
@@ -121,4 +121,7 @@ char *tuple_find(pkg_tuple_t *head, const char *key);
 pkg_dependency_t *parse_deplist(pkg_t *pkg, const char *depends);
 pkg_dependency_t *pkg_dependency_append(pkg_dependency_t *head, pkg_dependency_t *tail);
 
+/* argvsplit.c */
+int argv_split(const char *src, int *argc, char ***argv);
+
 #endif