diff --git a/lib/travis/build/script/r.rb b/lib/travis/build/script/r.rb
index ee049afc91..93f85aa811 100644
--- a/lib/travis/build/script/r.rb
+++ b/lib/travis/build/script/r.rb
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ def configure
               end
 
               # Set repos in ~/.Rprofile
-              repos_str = repos.collect {|k,v| "#{k} = \"#{v}\""}.join(", ")
+              repos_str = repos.collect {|k,v| "#{k} = \\\"#{v}\\\""}.join(", ")
               options_repos = "options(repos = c(#{repos_str}))"
-              sh.cmd %Q{echo '#{options_repos}' > ~/.Rprofile.site}
+              sh.cmd %Q{echo "#{options_repos}" > ~/.Rprofile.site}
               sh.export 'R_PROFILE', "~/.Rprofile.site", echo: false
 
               # PDF manual requires latex
diff --git a/spec/build/script/r_spec.rb b/spec/build/script/r_spec.rb
index 22bd55ac53..8ee7ef9da3 100644
--- a/spec/build/script/r_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/build/script/r_spec.rb
@@ -139,19 +139,19 @@
 
   it 'sets repos in ~/.Rprofile.site with defaults' do
     data[:config][:cran] = 'https://cloud.r-project.org'
-    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo 'options(repos = c(CRAN = \"https://cloud.r-project.org\"))' > ~/.Rprofile.site",
+    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo \"options(repos = c(CRAN = \\\"https://cloud.r-project.org\\\"))\" > ~/.Rprofile.site",
                          assert: true, echo: true, timing: true]
   end
 
   it 'sets repos in ~/.Rprofile.site with user specified repos' do
     data[:config][:cran] = 'https://cran.rstudio.org'
-    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo 'options(repos = c(CRAN = \"https://cran.rstudio.org\"))' > ~/.Rprofile.site",
+    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo \"options(repos = c(CRAN = \\\"https://cran.rstudio.org\\\"))\" > ~/.Rprofile.site",
                          assert: true, echo: true, timing: true]
   end
 
   it 'sets repos in ~/.Rprofile.site with additional user specified repos' do
     data[:config][:repos] = {CRAN: 'https://cran.rstudio.org', ropensci: 'http://packages.ropensci.org'}
-    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo 'options(repos = c(CRAN = \"https://cran.rstudio.org\", ropensci = \"http://packages.ropensci.org\"))' > ~/.Rprofile.site",
+    should include_sexp [:cmd, "echo \"options(repos = c(CRAN = \\\"https://cran.rstudio.org\\\", ropensci = \\\"http://packages.ropensci.org\\\"))\" > ~/.Rprofile.site",
                          assert: true, echo: true, timing: true]
   end