diff --git a/binutils/resrc.c b/binutils/resrc.c
index 42afdc1d954..fff77f4f28a 100644
--- a/binutils/resrc.c
+++ b/binutils/resrc.c
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@
 
 /* The default preprocessor.  */
 
-#define DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR "gcc -E -xc -DRC_INVOKED"
+#define DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_CMD "gcc"
+#define DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_ARGS "-E -xc -DRC_INVOKED"
 
 /* We read the directory entries in a cursor or icon file into
    instances of this structure.  */
@@ -378,17 +379,13 @@ static FILE *
 look_for_default (char *cmd, const char *prefix, int end_prefix,
 		  const char *preprocargs, const char *filename)
 {
-  char *space;
   int found;
   struct stat s;
   const char *fnquotes = (filename_need_quotes (filename) ? "\"" : "");
 
   strcpy (cmd, prefix);
 
-  sprintf (cmd + end_prefix, "%s", DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR);
-  space = strchr (cmd + end_prefix, ' ');
-  if (space)
-    *space = 0;
+  sprintf (cmd + end_prefix, "%s", DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_CMD);
 
   if (
 #if defined (__DJGPP__) || defined (__CYGWIN__) || defined (_WIN32)
@@ -410,10 +407,16 @@ look_for_default (char *cmd, const char *prefix, int end_prefix,
 	}
     }
 
-  strcpy (cmd, prefix);
+  if (filename_need_quotes (cmd))
+    {
+      char *cmd_copy = xmalloc (strlen (cmd));
+      strcpy (cmd_copy, cmd);
+      sprintf (cmd, "\"%s\"", cmd_copy);
+      free (cmd_copy);
+    }
 
-  sprintf (cmd + end_prefix, "%s %s %s%s%s",
-	   DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR, preprocargs, fnquotes, filename, fnquotes);
+  sprintf (cmd + strlen (cmd), " %s %s %s%s%s",
+	   DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_ARGS, preprocargs, fnquotes, filename, fnquotes);
 
   if (verbose)
     fprintf (stderr, _("Using `%s'\n"), cmd);
@@ -490,10 +493,9 @@ read_rc_file (const char *filename, const char *preprocessor,
     {
       char *dash, *slash, *cp;
 
-      preprocessor = DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR;
-
       cmd = xmalloc (strlen (program_name)
-		     + strlen (preprocessor)
+		     + strlen (DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_CMD)
+		     + strlen (DEFAULT_PREPROCESSOR_ARGS)
 		     + strlen (preprocargs)
 		     + strlen (filename)
 		     + strlen (fnquotes) * 2