diff --git a/maint/version.sh b/maint/version.sh
index a07c72ac0..291e569f5 100755
--- a/maint/version.sh
+++ b/maint/version.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ VERSION_FILE="${src_top_dir}/version.h"
 PREV_MC_VERSION="unknown"
 CURR_MC_VERSION="${PREV_MC_VERSION}"
 
-if [ -r ${VERSION_FILE} ]
+if [ -r "${VERSION_FILE}" ]
   then
     PREV_MC_VERSION=`sed -n 's/^#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION "\(.*\)"$/\1/p' "${VERSION_FILE}"`
     CURR_MC_VERSION="${PREV_MC_VERSION}"