diff --git a/sway/criteria.c b/sway/criteria.c
index 9a04b48e4..f5fe40cbf 100644
--- a/sway/criteria.c
+++ b/sway/criteria.c
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ static char *crit_tokens(int *argc, char ***buf, const char * const criteria_str
 
 	char **argv = *buf = calloc(max_tokens, sizeof(char*));
 	argv[0] = base; // this needs to be freed by caller
+	bool quoted = true;
 
 	*argc = 1; // uneven = name, even = value
 	while (*head && *argc < max_tokens) {
@@ -134,7 +135,8 @@ static char *crit_tokens(int *argc, char ***buf, const char * const criteria_str
 				if (*(namep) == ' ') {
 					namep = strrchr(namep, ' ') + 1;
 				}
-				argv[(*argc)++] = namep;
+				argv[*argc] = namep;
+				*argc += 1;
 			}
 		} else if (*head == '"') {
 			if (*argc % 2 != 0) {
@@ -143,21 +145,38 @@ static char *crit_tokens(int *argc, char ***buf, const char * const criteria_str
 					"Found quoted value where it was not expected");
 			} else if (!valp) { // value starts here
 				valp = head + 1;
+				quoted = true;
 			} else {
 				// value ends here
-				argv[(*argc)++] = valp;
+				argv[*argc] = valp;
+				*argc += 1;
 				*head = '\0';
 				valp = NULL;
 				namep = head + 1;
 			}
-		} else if (*argc % 2 == 0 && !valp && *head != ' ') {
-			// We're expecting a quoted value, haven't found one yet, and this
-			// is not an empty space.
-			return strdup("Unable to parse criteria: "
-				"Names must be unquoted, values must be quoted");
+		} else if (*argc % 2 == 0 && *head != ' ') {
+			// parse unquoted values
+			if (!valp) {
+				quoted = false;
+				valp = head;  // value starts here
+			}
+		} else if (valp && !quoted && *head == ' ') {
+			// value ends here
+			argv[*argc] = valp;
+			*argc += 1;
+			*head = '\0';
+			valp = NULL;
+			namep = head + 1;
 		}
 		head++;
 	}
+
+	// catch last unquoted value if needed
+	if (valp && !quoted && !*head) {
+		argv[*argc] = valp;
+		*argc += 1;
+	}
+
 	return NULL;
 }