diff --git a/kitty/conf/utils.py b/kitty/conf/utils.py
index 9cccec7dd..946052730 100644
--- a/kitty/conf/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/conf/utils.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ def to_cmdline(x: str, expand: bool = True) -> list[str]:
 
 def python_string(text: str) -> str:
     from ast import literal_eval
+    text = (text[:-1] + "\\'") if text.endswith("'") else text
     ans: str = literal_eval("'''" + text.replace("'''", "'\\''") + "'''")
     return ans
 
diff --git a/kitty_tests/options.py b/kitty_tests/options.py
index 169b8aed1..4eb56ff6e 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/options.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/options.py
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ def conf_parsing(self):
     self.ae(opts.mouse_hide_wait[3], True)
     self.ae(opts.color23, Color(255, 0, 0))
     self.assertFalse(opts.keyboard_modes[''].keymap)
+    opts = p("url_excluded_characters '''")
+    self.ae(opts.url_excluded_characters, "'''")
+    opts = p("url_excluded_characters abc'")
+    self.ae(opts.url_excluded_characters, "abc'")
     opts = p('clear_all_shortcuts y', 'map f1 next_window')
     self.ae(len(opts.keyboard_modes[''].keymap), 1)
     opts = p('clear_all_mouse_actions y', 'mouse_map left click ungrabbed mouse_click_url_or_select')