diff --git a/shell/src/parse.rs b/shell/src/parse.rs
index 46740327e6..758d829a2e 100644
--- a/shell/src/parse.rs
+++ b/shell/src/parse.rs
@@ -904,11 +904,13 @@ fn parse_line_inner(
                 }
                 '"' if state.last_ch != '\\' => {
                     let arg_str = read_string(jobs, chars)?;
+                    let resolved = arg_str.resolve_arg(jobs)?.to_string_lossy().to_string();
                     // Single quote in token to avoid future expansions in string.
+                    // Escape any literal single quotes in the content with '\'' so
+                    // they survive the downstream expansion pipeline (expand_braces,
+                    // expand_params_comms, expand_globs, strip_quotes).
                     state.token().push('\'');
-                    state
-                        .token()
-                        .push_str(&arg_str.resolve_arg(jobs)?.to_string_lossy());
+                    state.token().push_str(&resolved.replace('\'', "'\\''"));
                     state.token().push('\'');
                     state.last_ch = ch;
                 }
diff --git a/slosh_lib/src/lib.rs b/slosh_lib/src/lib.rs
index 4503990a66..59247e0d92 100644
--- a/slosh_lib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/slosh_lib/src/lib.rs
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ pub fn run_slosh(modify_vm: impl FnOnce(&mut SloshVm)) -> i32 {
                 status = run_shell_with_stdin();
             }
         } else if let Some(mut command) = config.command {
+            load_core_slosh();
             for a in &config.args {
                 command.push(' ');
                 command.push_str(a);