diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/container/exec/child/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/container/exec/child/main.go
index 1e464fbd..3a418ec1 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/container/exec/child/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/container/exec/child/main.go
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/container"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		var source string
 		var dest string
 
-		bind := strings.Split(b, ":")
+		bind := util.SplitValidPaths(b, ":")
 		source = bind[0]
 
 		if len(bind) == 1 {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/util/util.go b/internal/pkg/util/util.go
index c2698ce4..73c7b74c 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -315,3 +315,45 @@ func CopyUIDGID(source string, dest string) error {
 	err = os.Chown(dest, UID, GID)
 	return err
 }
+
+func SplitEscaped(input, delim, escape string) []string {
+	var ret []string
+	str := ""
+	for i := 1; i < len(input); i++ {
+		str += string(input[i-1])
+		if string(input[i]) == delim && string(input[i-1]) != escape {
+			i++
+			ret = append(ret, str)
+			str = ""
+		}
+		if string(input[i]) == escape {
+			i++
+		}
+
+	}
+	str += string(input[len(input)-1])
+	ret = append(ret, str)
+
+	return (ret)
+}
+
+func SplitValidPaths(input, delim string) []string {
+	var ret []string
+	str := ""
+	for i := 1; i < len(input); i++ {
+		str += string(input[i-1])
+		if (string(input[i]) == delim && string(input[i-1]) != "\\") && (IsDir(str) || IsFile(str)) {
+			i++
+			ret = append(ret, str)
+			str = ""
+		}
+		if string(input[i]) == "\\" {
+			i++
+		}
+
+	}
+	str += string(input[len(input)-1])
+	ret = append(ret, str)
+
+	return (ret)
+}