diff --git a/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/internal-functions b/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/internal-functions
index 39c4d0a01..b841d4582 100755
--- a/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/internal-functions
+++ b/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/internal-functions
@@ -241,11 +241,11 @@ fn-scheduler-docker-local-start-app-container() {
   declare APP="$1"
   shift
 
-  local DOCKER_ARGS
+  declare -a DOCKER_ARGS
   for i in "$@"; do
-    DOCKER_ARGS="$DOCKER_ARGS \"$i\""
+    DOCKER_ARGS+=("$i")
   done
-  eval set -- $DOCKER_ARGS
+  set -- "${DOCKER_ARGS[@]}"
 
   eval "$(config_export app "$APP" --merged)"
   # shellcheck disable=SC2124
diff --git a/tests/unit/scheduler-docker-local.bats b/tests/unit/scheduler-docker-local.bats
index a922b0428..0fbba8dc1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/scheduler-docker-local.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/scheduler-docker-local.bats
@@ -30,3 +30,28 @@ teardown() {
   echo "status: $status"
   assert_success
 }
+
+@test "(scheduler-docker-local) complex labels" {
+  run create_app
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  # the run command is equivalent to the following line, except with backslashes due to the enclosing doublequotes
+  # dokku docker-options:add test deploy '--label "some.key=Host(\`$TEST_APP.dokku.me\`)"'
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku docker-options:add $TEST_APP deploy '--label \"some.key=Host(\\\`$TEST_APP.dokku.me\\\`)\"'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run deploy_app
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "docker inspect --format '{{ index .Config.Labels \"some.key\"}}' $TEST_APP.web.1"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_output "Host(\`$TEST_APP.dokku.me\`)"
+  assert_success
+}