diff --git a/cmd/dry.go b/cmd/dry.go
index e370d9dca..eb97a28dc 100644
--- a/cmd/dry.go
+++ b/cmd/dry.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func dryCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
 
-			workflow, err := dag.Load(cfg.BaseConfig, args[0], params)
+			workflow, err := dag.Load(cfg.BaseConfig, args[0], removeQuotes(params))
 			if err != nil {
 				initLogger.Error("Workflow load failed", "error", err, "file", args[0])
 				os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/cmd/start.go b/cmd/start.go
index 6754c71f0..3aab8a4dd 100644
--- a/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/start.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func startCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
 
-			workflow, err := dag.Load(cfg.BaseConfig, args[0], params)
+			workflow, err := dag.Load(cfg.BaseConfig, args[0], removeQuotes(params))
 			if err != nil {
 				initLogger.Error("Workflow load failed", "error", err, "file", args[0])
 				os.Exit(1)
@@ -110,3 +110,11 @@ func startCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().BoolP("quiet", "q", false, "suppress output")
 	return cmd
 }
+
+// removeQuotes removes the surrounding quotes from the string.
+func removeQuotes(s string) string {
+	if len(s) > 1 && s[0] == '"' && s[len(s)-1] == '"' {
+		return s[1 : len(s)-1]
+	}
+	return s
+}
diff --git a/internal/dag/builder_test.go b/internal/dag/builder_test.go
index fe9b80ea4..ec504254e 100644
--- a/internal/dag/builder_test.go
+++ b/internal/dag/builder_test.go
@@ -149,6 +149,14 @@ func TestBuilder_BuildParams(t *testing.T) {
 				"2": "x",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:   "QuotedParams",
+			params: `x="1" y="2"`,
+			expected: map[string]string{
+				"x": "1",
+				"y": "2",
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name:   "ComplexParams",
 			params: "first P1=foo P2=${FOO} P3=`/bin/echo BAR` X=bar Y=${P1} Z=\"A B C\"",
@@ -173,11 +181,17 @@ func TestBuilder_BuildParams(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			dg, err := unmarshalData([]byte(fmt.Sprintf(`
-env:
-  - %s
+			var data string
+			if tt.env != "" {
+				data = fmt.Sprintf(`env:
+- %s
 params: %s
-  	`, tt.env, tt.params)))
+`, tt.env, tt.params)
+			} else {
+				data = fmt.Sprintf(`params: %s
+`, tt.params)
+			}
+			dg, err := unmarshalData([]byte(data))
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
 			def, err := decode(dg)
diff --git a/internal/test/setup.go b/internal/test/setup.go
index 86e7b4c1e..3033bcf93 100644
--- a/internal/test/setup.go
+++ b/internal/test/setup.go
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ func SetupTest(t *testing.T) Setup {
 	err := os.Setenv("HOME", tmpDir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	viper.AddConfigPath(config.ConfigDir)
+	configDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "config")
+	viper.AddConfigPath(configDir)
 	viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
 	viper.SetConfigName("admin")