diff --git a/src/daemon/arg-split.test.ts b/src/daemon/arg-split.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9b8c89448
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/arg-split.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { splitArgsPreservingQuotes } from "./arg-split.js";
+
+describe("splitArgsPreservingQuotes", () => {
+  it("splits on whitespace outside quotes", () => {
+    expect(splitArgsPreservingQuotes('/usr/bin/openclaw gateway start --name "My Bot"')).toEqual([
+      "/usr/bin/openclaw",
+      "gateway",
+      "start",
+      "--name",
+      "My Bot",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("supports systemd-style backslash escaping", () => {
+    expect(
+      splitArgsPreservingQuotes('openclaw --name "My \\"Bot\\"" --foo bar', {
+        escapeMode: "backslash",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual(["openclaw", "--name", 'My "Bot"', "--foo", "bar"]);
+  });
+
+  it("supports schtasks-style escaped quotes while preserving other backslashes", () => {
+    expect(
+      splitArgsPreservingQuotes('openclaw --path "C:\\\\Program Files\\\\OpenClaw"', {
+        escapeMode: "backslash-quote-only",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual(["openclaw", "--path", "C:\\\\Program Files\\\\OpenClaw"]);
+
+    expect(
+      splitArgsPreservingQuotes('openclaw --label "My \\"Quoted\\" Name"', {
+        escapeMode: "backslash-quote-only",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual(["openclaw", "--label", 'My "Quoted" Name']);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/daemon/arg-split.ts b/src/daemon/arg-split.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f87071b18a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/arg-split.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+export type ArgSplitEscapeMode = "none" | "backslash" | "backslash-quote-only";
+
+export function splitArgsPreservingQuotes(
+  value: string,
+  options?: { escapeMode?: ArgSplitEscapeMode },
+): string[] {
+  const args: string[] = [];
+  let current = "";
+  let inQuotes = false;
+  const escapeMode = options?.escapeMode ?? "none";
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
+    const char = value[i];
+    if (escapeMode === "backslash" && char === "\\") {
+      if (i + 1 < value.length) {
+        current += value[i + 1];
+        i++;
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (
+      escapeMode === "backslash-quote-only" &&
+      char === "\\" &&
+      i + 1 < value.length &&
+      value[i + 1] === '"'
+    ) {
+      current += '"';
+      i++;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (char === '"') {
+      inQuotes = !inQuotes;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!inQuotes && /\s/.test(char)) {
+      if (current) {
+        args.push(current);
+        current = "";
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    current += char;
+  }
+  if (current) {
+    args.push(current);
+  }
+  return args;
+}
diff --git a/src/daemon/schtasks.ts b/src/daemon/schtasks.ts
index 7b5c4f6bd2..d29d470ffe 100644
--- a/src/daemon/schtasks.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/schtasks.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import path from "node:path";
 import type { GatewayServiceRuntime } from "./service-runtime.js";
+import { splitArgsPreservingQuotes } from "./arg-split.js";
 import { formatGatewayServiceDescription, resolveGatewayWindowsTaskName } from "./constants.js";
 import { formatLine } from "./output.js";
 import { resolveGatewayStateDir } from "./paths.js";
@@ -48,36 +49,9 @@ function resolveTaskUser(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): string | null
 }
 
 function parseCommandLine(value: string): string[] {
-  const args: string[] = [];
-  let current = "";
-  let inQuotes = false;
-
-  for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
-    const char = value[i];
-    // `buildTaskScript` only escapes quotes (`\"`).
-    // Keep all other backslashes literal so drive and UNC paths are preserved.
-    if (char === "\\" && i + 1 < value.length && value[i + 1] === '"') {
-      current += value[i + 1];
-      i++;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (char === '"') {
-      inQuotes = !inQuotes;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (!inQuotes && /\s/.test(char)) {
-      if (current) {
-        args.push(current);
-        current = "";
-      }
-      continue;
-    }
-    current += char;
-  }
-  if (current) {
-    args.push(current);
-  }
-  return args;
+  // `buildTaskScript` only escapes quotes (`\"`).
+  // Keep all other backslashes literal so drive and UNC paths are preserved.
+  return splitArgsPreservingQuotes(value, { escapeMode: "backslash-quote-only" });
 }
 
 export async function readScheduledTaskCommand(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): Promise<{
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd-unit.ts b/src/daemon/systemd-unit.ts
index e7a8d09488..f947d4e2be 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd-unit.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd-unit.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { splitArgsPreservingQuotes } from "./arg-split.js";
+
 function systemdEscapeArg(value: string): string {
   if (!/[\\s"\\\\]/.test(value)) {
     return value;
@@ -63,38 +65,7 @@ export function buildSystemdUnit({
 }
 
 export function parseSystemdExecStart(value: string): string[] {
-  const args: string[] = [];
-  let current = "";
-  let inQuotes = false;
-  let escapeNext = false;
-
-  for (const char of value) {
-    if (escapeNext) {
-      current += char;
-      escapeNext = false;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (char === "\\\\") {
-      escapeNext = true;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (char === '"') {
-      inQuotes = !inQuotes;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (!inQuotes && /\s/.test(char)) {
-      if (current) {
-        args.push(current);
-        current = "";
-      }
-      continue;
-    }
-    current += char;
-  }
-  if (current) {
-    args.push(current);
-  }
-  return args;
+  return splitArgsPreservingQuotes(value, { escapeMode: "backslash" });
 }
 
 export function parseSystemdEnvAssignment(raw: string): { key: string; value: string } | null {