diff --git a/lib/autoupdate/agent/setup.go b/lib/autoupdate/agent/setup.go
index 4a6475835a0a9..2c567a27f1ed0 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate/agent/setup.go
+++ b/lib/autoupdate/agent/setup.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Description=Teleport auto-update service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStart={{.UpdaterBinary}} --install-suffix={{.InstallSuffix}} --install-dir="{{escape .InstallDir}}" update
+ExecStart={{.UpdaterBinary}} --install-suffix={{.InstallSuffix}} "--install-dir={{escape .InstallDir}}" update
 `
 	updateTimerTemplate = `# teleport-update
 # DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
diff --git a/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/no_namespace/service.golden b/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/no_namespace/service.golden
index b71ce08a9c4bb..45d778ec09f25 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/no_namespace/service.golden
+++ b/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/no_namespace/service.golden
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ Description=Teleport auto-update service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport-update --install-suffix= --install-dir="/opt/teleport" update
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport-update --install-suffix= "--install-dir=/opt/teleport" update
diff --git a/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/test_namespace/service.golden b/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/test_namespace/service.golden
index 832658a8d5a61..f698deec24bb9 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/test_namespace/service.golden
+++ b/lib/autoupdate/agent/testdata/TestWriteConfigFiles/test_namespace/service.golden
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ Description=Teleport auto-update service
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport-update --install-suffix=test --install-dir="/opt/teleport" update
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport-update --install-suffix=test "--install-dir=/opt/teleport" update