diff --git a/src/qbpm/menus.py b/src/qbpm/menus.py
index 741f26a..f7de843 100644
--- a/src/qbpm/menus.py
+++ b/src/qbpm/menus.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import platform
+import shlex
 import sys
 from collections.abc import Iterator
 from dataclasses import dataclass, replace
@@ -57,13 +58,13 @@ def find_menu(menu: str | None) -> Dmenu | ApplescriptMenu | None:
 
 
 def custom_dmenu(command: str) -> Dmenu:
-    split = command.split(" ", maxsplit=1)
+    split = shlex.split(command)
     if len(split) == 1 or not split[1]:
         name = Path(command).name
         for menu in supported_menus():
             if isinstance(menu, Dmenu) and menu.name == name:
                 return menu if menu.name == command else replace(menu, name=command)
-    return Dmenu(split[0], split[1] if len(split) == 2 else "")
+    return Dmenu(split[0], " ".join(split[1::]))
 
 
 def supported_menus() -> Iterator[Dmenu | ApplescriptMenu]:
diff --git a/tests/test_choose.py b/tests/test_choose.py
index 36bdf3d..3eb5042 100644
--- a/tests/test_choose.py
+++ b/tests/test_choose.py
@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ def test_invalid_custom_menu():
     assert find_menu("fake_command") is None
 
 
+def test_custom_menu_space_in_name(tmp_path: Path):
+    write_script(tmp_path / "bin", name="my menu")
+    environ["PATH"] = str(tmp_path / "bin")
+    environ["DISPLAY"] = ":1"
+    dmenu = find_menu("my\\ menu")
+    assert dmenu is not None
+    assert dmenu.installed()
+
+
 def test_custom_menu_default_args(tmp_path: Path):
     menu = write_script(tmp_path / "bin", name="rofi")
     environ["PATH"] = str(tmp_path / "bin")