diff --git a/cibuildwheel/bashlex_eval.py b/cibuildwheel/bashlex_eval.py
index 4cc9c053..122b50b3 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/bashlex_eval.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/bashlex_eval.py
@@ -51,28 +51,24 @@ def evaluate_node(node: bashlex.ast.node, context: NodeExecutionContext) -> str:
 
 
 def evaluate_word_node(node: bashlex.ast.node, context: NodeExecutionContext) -> str:
-    word_start = node.pos[0]
-    word_end = node.pos[1]
-    word_string = context.input[word_start:word_end]
-    letters = list(word_string)
+    value = node.word
 
     for part in node.parts:
-        part_start = part.pos[0] - word_start
-        part_end = part.pos[1] - word_start
+        part_string = context.input[part.pos[0]:part.pos[1]]
+        part_value = evaluate_node(part, context=context)
 
-        # Set all the characters in the part to None
-        for i in range(part_start, part_end):
-            letters[i] = ''
+        if part_string not in value:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                'bash parse failed. part "{}" not found in "{}". Word was "{}". Full input was "{}"'.format(
+                    part_string, value, node.word, context.input,
+                )
+            )
 
-        letters[part_start] = evaluate_node(part, context=context)
-
-    # remove the None letters and concat
-    value = ''.join(letters)
+        value = value.replace(part_string, part_value, 1)
 
     print('node value:', value)
 
-    # apply bash-like quotes/whitespace treatment
-    return ' '.join(word.strip() for word in shlex.split(value))
+    return value
 
 
 def evaluate_command_node(node: bashlex.ast.node, context: NodeExecutionContext) -> str:
diff --git a/unit_test/environment_test.py b/unit_test/environment_test.py
index 5a0cf613..0827cc0d 100644
--- a/unit_test/environment_test.py
+++ b/unit_test/environment_test.py
@@ -114,3 +114,12 @@ def test_substitution_with_backslash():
     })
 
     assert environment_dict.get('PATH2') == 'somewhere_else;c:\\folder\\'
+
+
+def test_awkwardly_quoted_variable():
+    environment_recipe = parse_environment('VAR2=something"like this""$VAR1"$VAR1$(echo "theres more")"$(echo "and more!")"')
+
+    # pass the existing process env so PATH is available
+    environment_dict = environment_recipe.as_dictionary({'VAR1': 'but wait'})
+
+    assert environment_dict.get('VAR2') == 'somethinglike thisbut waitbut waittheres moreand more!'