diff --git a/containers/jug/dev.Dockerfile b/containers/jug/dev.Dockerfile
index b66e7b4586e89e8f0bae3d5d70fd99ee7ac23f3c..c2c53178dbf16eb8971d501608dc3411fbe05f25 100644
--- a/containers/jug/dev.Dockerfile
+++ b/containers/jug/dev.Dockerfile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ git config --global advice.detachedHead false
 git clone --filter=tree:0 https://github.com/${SPACK_ORGREPO}.git ${SPACK_ROOT}
 git -C ${SPACK_ROOT} checkout ${SPACK_VERSION}
 if [ -n "${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS}" ] ; then
-  SPACK_CHERRYPICKS=$(git -C ${SPACK_ROOT} rev-list --topo-order ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS} | grep -m $(echo ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS} | wc -w)  "${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS}" | tac)
+  SPACK_CHERRYPICKS=$(git -C ${SPACK_ROOT} rev-list --topo-order ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS} | grep -m $(echo ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS} | wc -w)  -e ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS// / -e } | tac)
   eval "declare -A SPACK_CHERRYPICKS_FILES_ARRAY=(${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS_FILES})"
   for hash in ${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS} ; do
     if [ -n "${SPACK_CHERRYPICKS_FILES_ARRAY[${hash}]+found}" ] ; then