diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_assign_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_assign_test.go
index 67eacc74..d548b865 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_assign_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_assign_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ var assignOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[], ()::a:\n    b: cat\nx: frog\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		description: "Create yaml file with value with spaces",
+		expression:  `.a.b = "cat" | .x = "frog jumps"`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], ()::a:\n    b: cat\nx: frog jumps\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		description: "Update node to be the child value",
 		document:    `{a: {b: {g: foof}}}`,
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/path_tokeniser.go b/pkg/yqlib/path_tokeniser.go
index bcb7cc02..59cfe476 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/path_tokeniser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/path_tokeniser.go
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ func initLexer() (*lex.Lexer, error) {
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`[Nn][Uu][Ll][Ll]`), nullValue())
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`~`), nullValue())
 
-	lexer.Add([]byte(`"[^ "]*"`), stringValue(true))
+	lexer.Add([]byte(`"[^"]*"`), stringValue(true))
 
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\[\]`), literalToken(SplatOrEmptyCollect, true))