diff --git a/src/file.c b/src/file.c
index e2841b1b..b9f4b2a2 100644
--- a/src/file.c
+++ b/src/file.c
@@ -529,10 +529,15 @@ file_compress_files(const gchar *destfile, const gchar *prefix)
     chdir(dirname);
     
     if (os_is_unix)
-        sprintf(buf, "%s %s", const_str("string_fs_compress_command"), zipbasename);
+        sprintf(buf, "%s %s %s", 
+		const_str("string_fs_compress_command"), 
+		const_str("string_fs_compress_switches"),
+		zipbasename);
     else
-        sprintf(buf, "%s%s%s %s", pwd, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, 
-		const_str("string_fs_compress_command"), zipbasename);
+        sprintf(buf, "\"%s%s%s\" %s %s", pwd, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, 
+		const_str("string_fs_compress_command"),
+		const_str("string_fs_compress_switches"),
+		zipbasename);
 
     for(i=0;i<files->len;i++)
     {
@@ -567,10 +572,15 @@ file_decompress(const gchar *filename)
     chdir(dirname);
 	
     if (os_is_unix)
-	sprintf(buf, "%s %s", const_str("string_fs_uncompress_command"), basename);
+	sprintf(buf, "%s %s %s", 
+		const_str("string_fs_uncompress_command"), 
+		const_str("string_fs_uncompress_switches"),
+		basename);
     else
-	sprintf(buf, "%s%s%s %s", pwd, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
-		const_str("string_fs_uncompress_command"), basename);
+	sprintf(buf, "\"%s%s%s\" %s %s", pwd, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+		const_str("string_fs_uncompress_command"), 
+		const_str("string_fs_uncompress_switches"), 
+		basename);
 
     file_my_system(buf);
 
diff --git a/support_files/bygfoot_constants b/support_files/bygfoot_constants
index 1eef1db6..17c8356e 100644
--- a/support_files/bygfoot_constants
+++ b/support_files/bygfoot_constants
@@ -8,14 +8,18 @@
 #### so we write 5000 if we'd like to have 0.5
 
 # commands for unix filesystem interaction
-string_fs_compress_command_unix zip -q
-string_fs_uncompress_command_unix unzip -qq -o
+string_fs_compress_command_unix zip
+string_fs_compress_switches_unix -q
+string_fs_uncompress_command_unix unzip
+string_fs_uncompress_switches_unix -qq -o
 string_fs_copy_file_command_unix cp
-string_fs_remove_file_command_unix rm -rf
+string_fs_remove_file_command_unix rm
 
 # commands for win32 filesystem interaction
-string_fs_compress_command_win32 7za a -tzip 
-string_fs_uncompress_command_win32 7za e -y
+string_fs_compress_command_win32 7za
+string_fs_compress_switches_win32 a -tzip 
+string_fs_uncompress_command_win32 7za
+string_fs_uncompress_switches_win32 e -y
 string_fs_copy_file_command_win32 copy
 string_fs_remove_file_command_win32 erase