diff --git a/examples/ffmpeg/scyllaridae.yml b/examples/ffmpeg/scyllaridae.yml
index e9e4e57..ed48b96 100644
--- a/examples/ffmpeg/scyllaridae.yml
+++ b/examples/ffmpeg/scyllaridae.yml
@@ -8,22 +8,34 @@ cmdByMimeType:
   "image/jpeg":
     cmd: ffmpeg
     args:
+      - "-f"
+      - "%source-mime-ext"
       - "-i"
       - "-"
       - "%args"
       - "-f"
       - "image2pipe"
+      - "-vcodec"
+      - "mjpeg"
+      - "-"
   "image/png":
     cmd: ffmpeg
     args:
+      - "-f"
+      - "%source-mime-ext"
       - "-i"
       - "-"
       - "%args"
       - "-f"
       - "image2pipe"
+      - "-vcodec"
+      - "png"
+      - "-"
   "video/mp4":
     cmd: ffmpeg
     args:
+      - "-f"
+      - "%source-mime-ext"
       - "-i"
       - "-"
       - "%args"
@@ -45,7 +57,7 @@ cmdByMimeType:
       - "faststart"
       - "-y"
       - "-f"
-      - "mp4"
+      - "%destination-mime-ext"
       - "-"
   default:
     cmd: ffmpeg
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ddff56d..ae234c3 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ go 1.22.2
 
 require (
 	github.com/go-stomp/stomp/v3 v3.1.0
+	github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2d7907b..8911a53 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ github.com/go-stomp/stomp/v3 v3.1.0 h1:JnvRJuua/fX2Lq5Ie5DXzrOL18dnzIUenCZXM6rr8
 github.com/go-stomp/stomp/v3 v3.1.0/go.mod h1:ztzZej6T2W4Y6FlD+Tb5n7HQP3/O5UNQiuC169pIp10=
 github.com/golang/mock v1.6.0 h1:ErTB+efbowRARo13NNdxyJji2egdxLGQhRaY+DUumQc=
 github.com/golang/mock v1.6.0/go.mod h1:p6yTPP+5HYm5mzsMV8JkE6ZKdX+/wYM6Hr+LicevLPs=
+github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510 h1:El6M4kTTCOh6aBiKaUGG7oYTSPP8MxqL4YI3kZKwcP4=
+github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20191202100458-e7afc7fbc510/go.mod h1:pupxD2MaaD3pAXIBCelhxNneeOaAeabZDe5s4K6zSpQ=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.1/go.mod h1:ipq/a2n7PKx3OHsz4KJII5eveXtPO4qwEXGdVfWzfnI=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1 h1:flRD4NNwYAUpkphVc1HcthR4KEIFJ65n8Mw5qdRn3LE=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1/go.mod h1:hoEshYVHaxMs3cyo3Yncou5ZscifuDolrwPKZanG3xk=
diff --git a/internal/config/server.go b/internal/config/server.go
index f37d865..635b941 100644
--- a/internal/config/server.go
+++ b/internal/config/server.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/google/shlex"
 	"github.com/lehigh-university-libraries/scyllaridae/pkg/api"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
@@ -141,7 +142,11 @@ func BuildExecCommand(message api.Payload, c *ServerConfig) (*exec.Cmd, error) {
 		// replace it with the args passed by the event
 		if a == "%args" {
 			if message.Attachment.Content.Args != "" {
-				args = append(args, message.Attachment.Content.Args)
+				passedArgs, err := shlex.Split(message.Attachment.Content.Args)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing args %s: %v", message.Attachment.Content.Args, err)
+				}
+				args = append(args, passedArgs...)
 			}
 			// if we have the special value of %source-mime-ext
 			// replace it with the source mimetype extension