diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.cpp
index 3c5569266cb..eb4a30d13c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include <projectexplorer/project.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/session.h>
 #include <utils/mimetypes/mimedatabase.h>
+#include <utils/qtcprocess.h>
 #include <utils/synchronousprocess.h>
 
 #include <QDebug>
@@ -671,7 +672,9 @@ void BaseClient::parseData(const QByteArray &data)
     }
 }
 
-StdIOClient::StdIOClient(const QString &command, const QStringList &args)
+StdIOClient::StdIOClient(const QString &executable, const QString &arguments)
+    : m_executable(executable)
+    , m_arguments(arguments)
 {
     connect(&m_process, &QProcess::readyReadStandardError,
             this, &StdIOClient::readError);
@@ -680,8 +683,8 @@ StdIOClient::StdIOClient(const QString &command, const QStringList &args)
     connect(&m_process, static_cast<void(QProcess::*)(int, QProcess::ExitStatus)>(&QProcess::finished),
             this, &StdIOClient::onProcessFinished);
 
-    m_process.setArguments(args);
-    m_process.setProgram(command);
+    m_process.setArguments(Utils::QtcProcess::splitArgs(m_arguments));
+    m_process.setProgram(m_executable);
 }
 
 StdIOClient::~StdIOClient()
@@ -706,8 +709,8 @@ void StdIOClient::setWorkingDirectory(const QString &workingDirectory)
 
 bool StdIOClient::matches(const LanguageClientSettings &setting)
 {
-    return setting.m_executable == m_process.program()
-            && setting.m_arguments == m_process.arguments();
+    return setting.m_executable == m_executable
+            && setting.m_arguments == m_executable;
 }
 
 void StdIOClient::sendData(const QByteArray &data)
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.h
index e0626bd7c78..4bd733dfdd8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/baseclient.h
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class StdIOClient : public BaseClient
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    StdIOClient(const QString &command, const QStringList &args = QStringList());
+    StdIOClient(const QString &executable, const QString &arguments);
     ~StdIOClient() override;
 
     StdIOClient() = delete;
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ private:
     void readError();
     void readOutput();
     void onProcessFinished(int exitCode, QProcess::ExitStatus exitStatus);
+
+    const QString m_executable;
+    const QString m_arguments;
 };
 
 } // namespace LanguageClient
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
index 68fe3ac72ff..0377f7587ec 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
@@ -170,6 +170,15 @@ void LanguageClientManager::removeMarks(const Core::Id &id)
         removeMarks(fileName, id);
 }
 
+void LanguageClientManager::startClient(LanguageClientSettings setting)
+{
+    auto client = new StdIOClient(setting.m_executable, setting.m_arguments);
+    client->setName(setting.m_name);
+    if (setting.m_mimeType != noLanguageFilter)
+        client->setSupportedMimeType({setting.m_mimeType});
+    startClient(client);
+}
+
 void LanguageClientManager::startClient(BaseClient *client)
 {
     managerInstance->m_clients.append(client);
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
index 5c115643fd9..3ccf56c765f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "baseclient.h"
+#include "languageclientsettings.h"
 
 #include <coreplugin/id.h>
 
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ public:
     static void removeMarks(const Utils::FileName &fileName, const Core::Id &id);
     static void removeMarks(const Core::Id &id);
 
+    static void startClient(LanguageClientSettings setting);
     static void startClient(BaseClient *client);
     static QVector<BaseClient *> clients();
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
index f2ee17ffc2a..e43d064f01a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <coreplugin/icore.h>
 #include <utils/algorithm.h>
 #include <utils/delegates.h>
+#include <utils/qtcprocess.h>
 #include <utils/mimetypes/mimedatabase.h>
 #include <languageserverprotocol/lsptypes.h>
 
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ QVariant LanguageClientSettingsModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) c
         case DisplayNameColumn: return setting.m_name;
         case MimeTypeColumn: return setting.m_mimeType;
         case ExecutableColumn: return setting.m_executable;
-        case ArgumentsColumn: return setting.m_arguments.join(' ');
+        case ArgumentsColumn: return setting.m_arguments;
         }
     } else if (role == Qt::CheckStateRole && index.column() == EnabledColumn) {
         return setting.m_enabled ? Qt::Checked : Qt::Unchecked;
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ bool LanguageClientSettingsModel::setData(const QModelIndex &index, const QVaria
         case DisplayNameColumn: setting.m_name = value.toString(); break;
         case MimeTypeColumn: setting.m_mimeType = value.toString(); break;
         case ExecutableColumn: setting.m_executable = value.toString(); break;
-        case ArgumentsColumn: setting.m_arguments = value.toString().split(' '); break;
+        case ArgumentsColumn: setting.m_arguments = value.toString(); break;
         default:
             return false;
         }
@@ -364,13 +365,8 @@ void LanguageClientSettingsModel::applyChanges()
     for (auto interface : toShutdown)
         interface->shutdown();
     for (auto setting : toStart) {
-        if (setting.isValid() && setting.m_enabled) {
-            auto client = new StdIOClient(setting.m_executable, setting.m_arguments);
-            client->setName(setting.m_name);
-            if (setting.m_mimeType != noLanguageFilter)
-                client->setSupportedMimeType({setting.m_mimeType});
-            LanguageClientManager::startClient(client);
-        }
+        if (setting.isValid() && setting.m_enabled)
+            LanguageClientManager::startClient(setting);
     }
 }
 
@@ -405,7 +401,7 @@ LanguageClientSettings LanguageClientSettings::fromMap(const QVariantMap &map)
                 map[enabledKey].toBool(),
                 map[mimeTypeKey].toString(),
                 map[executableKey].toString(),
-                map[argumentsKey].toStringList() };
+                map[argumentsKey].toString() };
 }
 
 void LanguageClientSettings::init()
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
index cefcd0f2c7c..152281de5a4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class LanguageClientSettings
 public:
     LanguageClientSettings() = default;
     LanguageClientSettings(const QString &name, bool enabled, const QString &mimeTypeName,
-                           const QString &executable, const QStringList &arguments)
+                           const QString &executable, const QString &arguments)
         : m_name(name)
         , m_enabled(enabled)
         , m_mimeType(mimeTypeName)
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
     bool m_enabled = true;
     QString m_mimeType = QLatin1String(noLanguageFilter);
     QString m_executable;
-    QStringList m_arguments;
+    QString m_arguments;
 
     bool isValid();