diff --git a/modules/scripting/helpers.lib b/modules/scripting/helpers.lib
index c56f765..a3e910f 100644
--- a/modules/scripting/helpers.lib
+++ b/modules/scripting/helpers.lib
@@ -93,9 +93,18 @@ if [[ -f $1 ]]; then cat $1; else echo "$1"; fi | sed -n '/^\s*$/!p'
 # sed -rz 's/^\n+//; s/\n+$/\n/g'
 }
 
-remote_args () {
+# $(sed 's/ /\\ /g' <<< $i)"
+escape_char () {
+  echo ${1//$2/\\$2}
+}
+
+escape_spaces () {
+  escape_char "$1" " "
+}
+
+escape_args () {
   local rargs  
-  for i; do rargs="$rargs $(sed 's/ /\\ /g' <<< $i)"; done
+  for i; do rargs="$rargs $(escape_spaces "$i")"; done
   echo $rargs
 }
 
@@ -132,18 +141,6 @@ mkrfilename () {
 }
 
 
-
-sshtest () {
- env | grep BASH    
- echo running on machine: $(hostnamectl hostname)
- echo as user:home $(whoami):$HOME   
- echo argument1 $1
- echo argument2 $2
- echo remaining arguments: "${@:3}"
- echo home directory listing
- ls -la ~
-}
-
 #rows between matched rows
 # sed '1,/firstmatch/d;/secondmatch/,$d'