diff --git a/meta.go b/meta.go
index 47934af..d063fd7 100644
--- a/meta.go
+++ b/meta.go
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package step
 
+import "strconv"
 import "strings"
 
 const metaRule = "---"
@@ -52,6 +53,13 @@ func ParseMeta (input string) (Meta, error) {
 		}
 		key   = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(key))
 		value = strings.TrimSpace(value)
+		if strings.HasPrefix(value, "\"") || strings.HasPrefix(value, "'") {
+			unquoted, err := strconv.Unquote(value)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			value = unquoted
+		}
 		if key == "" {
 			return nil, ErrMetaMalformed
 		}
diff --git a/meta_test.go b/meta_test.go
index 27a8de6..066d518 100644
--- a/meta_test.go
+++ b/meta_test.go
@@ -85,3 +85,27 @@ func TestSplitMetaCRLF (test *testing.T) {
 	if value3 != "that"        { test.Fatal("value is not correct") }
 	if value4 != quickBrownFox { test.Fatal("value is not correct") }
 }
+
+func TestParseMeta (test *testing.T) {
+	meta, err := ParseMeta(
+`thing: "	Quoted string!!!!!   "
+Other-Thing: askdjlksajd
+
+number: 3849
+`)
+	if err != nil {
+		test.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	
+	test.Log("META:")
+	test.Log(meta)
+	value0, ok := meta["thing"]
+	if !ok { test.Fatal("missing key") }
+	value1, ok := meta["other-thing"]
+	if !ok { test.Fatal("missing key") }
+	value2, ok := meta["number"]
+	if !ok { test.Fatal("missing key") }
+	if value0 != "\tQuoted string!!!!!m   " { test.Fatal("value is not correct") }
+	if value1 != "askdjlksajd"              { test.Fatal("value is not correct") }
+	if value2 != "3849"                     { test.Fatal("value is not correct") }
+}