diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 85d94d985..9a6202ded 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ Summary
 
 2.    Configuring HAProxy
 2.1.      Configuration file format
-2.2.      Time format
-2.3.      Examples
+2.2.      Quoting and escaping
+2.3.      Time format
+2.4.      Examples
 
 3.    Global parameters
 3.1.      Process management and security
@@ -366,12 +367,61 @@ HAProxy's configuration process involves 3 major sources of parameters :
 
 The configuration file syntax consists in lines beginning with a keyword
 referenced in this manual, optionally followed by one or several parameters
-delimited by spaces. If spaces have to be entered in strings, then they must be
-preceded by a backslash ('\') to be escaped. Backslashes also have to be
-escaped by doubling them.
+delimited by spaces.
 
 
-2.2. Time format
+2.2. Quoting and escaping
+-------------------------
+
+HAProxy's configuration introduces a quoting and escaping system similar to
+many programming languages. The configuration file supports 3 types: escaping
+with a backslash, weak quoting with double quotes, and strong quoting with
+single quotes.
+
+If spaces have to be entered in strings, then they must be escaped by preceding
+them by a backslash ('\') or by quoting them. Backslashes also have to be
+escaped by doubling or strong quoting them.
+
+Escaping is achieved by preceding a special character by a backslash ('\'):
+
+  \    to mark a space and differentiate it from a delimiter
+  \#   to mark a hash and differentiate it from a comment
+  \\   to use a backslash
+  \'   to use a single quote and differentiate it from strong quoting
+  \"   to use a double quote and differentiate it from weak quoting
+
+Weak quoting is achieved by using double quotes (""). Weak quoting prevents
+the interpretation of:
+
+       space as a parameter separator
+  '    single quote as a strong quoting delimiter
+  #    hash as a comment start
+
+But interpretation of escaping and special characters are not prevented by weak
+quoting.
+
+Strong quoting is achieved by using single quotes (''). Inside single quotes,
+nothing is interpreted, it's the efficient way to quote regexes.
+
+Quoted and escaped strings are replaced in memory by their interpreted
+equivalent, it allows you to perform concatenation.
+
+  Example:
+      # those are equivalents:
+      log-format %{+Q}o\ %t\ %s\ %{-Q}r
+      log-format "%{+Q}o %t %s %{-Q}r"
+      log-format '%{+Q}o %t %s %{-Q}r'
+      log-format "%{+Q}o %t"' %s %{-Q}r'
+      log-format "%{+Q}o %t"' %s'\ %{-Q}r
+
+      # those are equivalents:
+      reqrep "^([^\ :]*)\ /static/(.*)"     \1\ /\2
+      reqrep "^([^ :]*)\ /static/(.*)"     '\1 /\2'
+      reqrep "^([^ :]*)\ /static/(.*)"     "\1 /\2"
+      reqrep "^([^ :]*)\ /static/(.*)"     "\1\ /\2"
+
+
+2.3. Time format
 ----------------
 
 Some parameters involve values representing time, such as timeouts. These
@@ -388,7 +438,7 @@ for every keyword. Supported units are :
   - d  : days.    1d = 24h = 1440m = 86400s = 86400000ms
 
 
-2.3. Examples
+2.4. Examples
 -------------
 
     # Simple configuration for an HTTP proxy listening on port 80 on all
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index 4d0a91a1e..96ee79873 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -6207,6 +6207,8 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 		char *end;
 		char *args[MAX_LINE_ARGS + 1];
 		char *line = thisline;
+		int dquote = 0;  /* double quote */
+		int squote = 0;  /* simple quote */
 
 		linenum++;
 
@@ -6224,15 +6226,31 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 		/* skip leading spaces */
 		while (isspace((unsigned char)*line))
 			line++;
-	
+
 		arg = 0;
 		args[arg] = line;
 
 		while (*line && arg < MAX_LINE_ARGS) {
+			if (*line == '"' && !squote) {  /* double quote outside single quotes */
+				if (dquote)
+					dquote = 0;
+				else
+					dquote = 1;
+				memmove(line, line + 1, end - (line + 1));
+				end--;
+			}
+			else if (*line == '\'' && !dquote) { /* single quote outside double quotes */
+				if (squote)
+					squote = 0;
+				else
+					squote = 1;
+				memmove(line, line + 1, end - (line + 1));
+				end--;
+			}
+			else if (*line == '\\' && !squote) {
 			/* first, we'll replace \\, \<space>, \#, \r, \n, \t, \xXX with their
 			 * C equivalent value. Other combinations left unchanged (eg: \1).
 			 */
-			if (*line == '\\') {
 				int skip = 0;
 				if (line[1] == ' ' || line[1] == '\\' || line[1] == '#') {
 					*line = line[1];
@@ -6241,7 +6259,7 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 				else if (line[1] == 'r') {
 					*line = '\r';
 					skip = 1;
-				} 
+				}
 				else if (line[1] == 'n') {
 					*line = '\n';
 					skip = 1;
@@ -6264,6 +6282,12 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 						Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : invalid or incomplete '\\x' sequence in '%s'.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
 						err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 					}
+				} else if (line[1] == '"') {
+					*line = '"';
+					skip = 1;
+				} else if (line[1] == '\'') {
+					*line = '\'';
+					skip = 1;
 				}
 				if (skip) {
 					memmove(line + 1, line + 1 + skip, end - (line + skip));
@@ -6271,12 +6295,12 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 				}
 				line++;
 			}
-			else if (*line == '#' || *line == '\n' || *line == '\r') {
+			else if ((!squote && !dquote && *line == '#') || *line == '\n' || *line == '\r') {
 				/* end of string, end of loop */
 				*line = 0;
 				break;
 			}
-			else if (isspace((unsigned char)*line)) {
+			else if (!squote && !dquote && isspace((unsigned char)*line)) {
 				/* a non-escaped space is an argument separator */
 				*line++ = '\0';
 				while (isspace((unsigned char)*line))
@@ -6287,6 +6311,15 @@ int readcfgfile(const char *file)
 				line++;
 			}
 		}
+		if (dquote) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : Mismatched double quotes.\n", file, linenum);
+			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+		}
+
+		if (squote) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : Mismatched simple quotes.\n", file, linenum);
+			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+		}
 
 		/* empty line */
 		if (!**args)