diff --git a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/execution/build/GradleApplicationEnvironmentProvider.java b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/execution/build/GradleApplicationEnvironmentProvider.java
index a5e26fb2bcf4..5fb7680aaf8b 100644
--- a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/execution/build/GradleApplicationEnvironmentProvider.java
+++ b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/execution/build/GradleApplicationEnvironmentProvider.java
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ public class GradleApplicationEnvironmentProvider implements GradleExecutionEnvi
 
     StringBuilder parametersString = new StringBuilder();
     for (String parameter : params.getProgramParametersList().getParameters()) {
-      parametersString.append("args '").append(StringUtil.escapeBackSlashes(parameter)).append("'\n");
+      if (StringUtil.isEmpty(parameter)) continue;
+      String escaped = StringUtil.escapeChars(parameter, '\\', '"', '\'');
+      parametersString.append("args '").append(escaped).append("'\n");
     }
 
     StringBuilder vmParametersString = new StringBuilder();