diff --git a/libdm/libdm-config.c b/libdm/libdm-config.c
index 3385e18d2..fbee007c6 100644
--- a/libdm/libdm-config.c
+++ b/libdm/libdm-config.c
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ static int _write_config(const struct dm_config_node *n, int only_one,
 	char space[MAX_INDENT + 1];
 	int l = (level < MAX_INDENT) ? level : MAX_INDENT;
 	int i;
+	char *escaped_key = NULL;
 
 	if (!n)
 		return 1;
@@ -301,7 +302,14 @@ static int _write_config(const struct dm_config_node *n, int only_one,
 
 		if (!_line_start(out))
 			return_0;
-		line_append("%s%s", space, n->key);
+		if (strchr(n->key, '#') || strchr(n->key, '"') || strchr(n->key, '!')) {
+			escaped_key = alloca(dm_escaped_len(n->key) + 2);
+			*escaped_key = '"';
+			dm_escape_double_quotes(escaped_key + 1, n->key);
+			strcat(escaped_key, "\"");
+		}
+		line_append("%s%s", space, escaped_key ? escaped_key : n->key);
+		escaped_key = NULL;
 		if (!n->v) {
 			/* it's a sub section */
 			line_append(" {");
@@ -433,15 +441,23 @@ static struct dm_config_node *_section(struct parser *p)
 {
 	/* IDENTIFIER SECTION_B_CHAR VALUE* SECTION_E_CHAR */
 	struct dm_config_node *root, *n, *l = NULL;
+	char *token;
 	if (!(root = _create_node(p->mem))) {
 		log_error("Failed to allocate section node");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (!(root->key = _dup_tok(p)))
+	if (!(root->key = token = _dup_tok(p)))
 		return_NULL;
 
-	match(TOK_IDENTIFIER);
+	if (p->t == TOK_STRING_ESCAPED) {
+		token ++; /* OK as the token is pool-allocated */
+		token[strlen(token) - 1] = 0;
+		dm_unescape_double_quotes(token);
+		root->key = token;
+		match(TOK_STRING_ESCAPED);
+	} else
+		match(TOK_IDENTIFIER);
 
 	if (p->t == TOK_SECTION_B) {
 		match(TOK_SECTION_B);