diff --git a/cmdline/support.c b/cmdline/support.c
index 433fca22..d41f9a2d 100644
--- a/cmdline/support.c
+++ b/cmdline/support.c
@@ -586,30 +586,27 @@ char* polish(char* s)
 	return s;
 }
 
-unsigned split(char** split_map, unsigned split_max, char* str)
+unsigned split(char** split_map, unsigned split_max, char* str, const char* delimiters)
 {
 	unsigned mac = 0;
 
-	/* skip initial spaces */
-	while (isspace(*str))
-		++str;
+	/* skip initial delimiers */
+	str += strspn(str, delimiters);
 
 	while (*str != 0 || mac == split_max) {
 		/* start of the token */
 		split_map[mac] = str;
 		++mac;
 
-		/* find the first separator or the end of the string */
-		while (*str != 0 && !isspace(*str))
-			++str;
+		/* find the first delimiter or the end of the string */
+		str += strcspn(str, delimiters);
 
 		/* put the final terminator if missing */
 		if (*str != 0)
 			*str++ = 0;
 
-		/* skip trailing spaces */
-		while (isspace(*str))
-			++str;
+		/* skip trailing delimiters */
+		str += strspn(str, delimiters);
 	}
 
 	return mac;
diff --git a/cmdline/support.h b/cmdline/support.h
index c9e3ab0a..2c74320d 100644
--- a/cmdline/support.h
+++ b/cmdline/support.h
@@ -244,11 +244,11 @@ const char* quote(char prefix, const char* str, char* buffer);
 char* polish(char* s);
 
 /**
- * Split a string in multiple tokens separated by spaces.
+ * Split a string in multiple tokens separated by delimiters.
  *
- * Multiple spaces are grouped together.
+ * Multiple delimiters are grouped together.
  */
-unsigned split(char** split_map, unsigned split_max, char* line);
+unsigned split(char** split_map, unsigned split_max, char* line, const char* delimiters);
 
 /****************************************************************************/
 /* path */
diff --git a/cmdline/unix.c b/cmdline/unix.c
index eeba8e33..2a6252c5 100644
--- a/cmdline/unix.c
+++ b/cmdline/unix.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ static int devresolve_proc(uint64_t device, char* path, size_t path_size)
 			break;
 
 		/* split the line */
-		split_mac = split(split_map, 9, s);
+		split_mac = split(split_map, 9, s, " \t\r\n");
 
 		/* if too short, it's the wrong line */
 		if (split_mac < 9)