diff --git a/src/qemu_runner/layer.py b/src/qemu_runner/layer.py
index 8bd73b3..b488b83 100644
--- a/src/qemu_runner/layer.py
+++ b/src/qemu_runner/layer.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import os.path
+import os.path 
+import re
 from configparser import ConfigParser
 from dataclasses import dataclass, replace
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -234,7 +235,13 @@ def _yield_args():
             yield layer.general.kernel
 
         if layer.general.kernel_cmdline:
-            yield '-append'
-            yield layer.general.kernel_cmdline
+            if not layer.general.mode or layer.general.mode == Mode.System:
+                yield '-append'
+                yield layer.general.kernel_cmdline
+            else:
+                pattern = re.compile(r"\"[^\"]*\"|\'[^\']*\'|\S+")
+                args = pattern.findall(layer.general.kernel_cmdline)
+                for arg in args:
+                    yield arg.strip('"\'')
 
     return list(_yield_args())
diff --git a/tests/test_layer_cmdline.py b/tests/test_layer_cmdline.py
index b65633c..14a5bff 100644
--- a/tests/test_layer_cmdline.py
+++ b/tests/test_layer_cmdline.py
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@
         Layer(GeneralSettings(engine='my-engine', kernel='abc.elf', kernel_cmdline='a b c')),
         ['my-engine', '-kernel', 'abc.elf', '-append', 'a b c']
     ),
+    (
+        Layer(GeneralSettings(engine='my-engine', kernel='abc.elf', mode=Mode.User, kernel_cmdline='a b c')),
+        ['my-engine', 'abc.elf', 'a', 'b', 'c']
+    ),
+    (
+        Layer(GeneralSettings(engine='my-engine', kernel='abc.elf', mode=Mode.User, kernel_cmdline='a "b c d" e')),
+        ['my-engine', 'abc.elf', 'a', 'b c d', 'e']
+    ),
+    (
+        Layer(GeneralSettings(engine='my-engine', kernel='abc.elf', mode=Mode.User, kernel_cmdline='a \'b c d\' e')),
+        ['my-engine', 'abc.elf', 'a', 'b c d', 'e']
+    ),
     (
         Layer(
             GeneralSettings(engine='my-engine', halted=True, gdb=True, kernel='abc.elf', kernel_cmdline='a b c'),
diff --git a/tests/test_runner_flow.py b/tests/test_runner_flow.py
index 9c97a7a..dd0fa30 100644
--- a/tests/test_runner_flow.py
+++ b/tests/test_runner_flow.py
@@ -91,6 +91,76 @@ def test_runner_flow_no_args(tmp_path: Path, test_layer: Path):
         '-kernel',  str(tmp_path / 'abc.elf'),
     ]
 
+@pytest.fixture()
+def test_user_mode_layer(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    with open(tmp_path / 'test-layer', 'w') as f:
+        f.write("""
+        [general]
+        engine = qemu-aarch64
+        mode = user
+        
+        [L]
+        @ = /some/path
+        """)
+
+    return tmp_path / 'test-layer'
+
+
+def test_runner_flow_user_mode(tmp_path: Path, test_user_mode_layer: Path):
+    engine = place_echo_args(tmp_path / 'qemu' / 'qemu-aarch64')
+
+    run_make_runner('-l', test_user_mode_layer, '-o', tmp_path / 'test.pyz', cwd=tmp_path)
+    with with_cwd(tmp_path):
+        cmdline = capture_runner_cmdline(tmp_path / 'test.pyz', 'abc.elf', 'arg1', 'arg2')
+
+    assert cmdline == [
+        engine,
+        '-L', '/some/path',
+        str(tmp_path / 'abc.elf'),
+        'arg1', 'arg2'
+    ]
+
+def test_runner_flow_user_mode_double_quoted_args(tmp_path: Path, test_user_mode_layer: Path):
+    engine = place_echo_args(tmp_path / 'qemu' / 'qemu-aarch64')
+
+    run_make_runner('-l', test_user_mode_layer, '-o', tmp_path / 'test.pyz', cwd=tmp_path)
+    with with_cwd(tmp_path):
+        cmdline = capture_runner_cmdline(tmp_path / 'test.pyz', 'abc.elf', 'arg1', '"arg2 arg3"', 'arg4')
+
+    assert cmdline == [
+        engine,
+        '-L', '/some/path',
+        str(tmp_path / 'abc.elf'),
+        'arg1', 'arg2 arg3', 'arg4'
+    ]
+
+def test_runner_flow_user_mode_single_quoted_args(tmp_path: Path, test_user_mode_layer: Path):
+    engine = place_echo_args(tmp_path / 'qemu' / 'qemu-aarch64')
+
+    run_make_runner('-l', test_user_mode_layer, '-o', tmp_path / 'test.pyz', cwd=tmp_path)
+    with with_cwd(tmp_path):
+        cmdline = capture_runner_cmdline(tmp_path / 'test.pyz', 'abc.elf', 'arg1', '\'arg2 arg3\'', 'arg4')
+
+    assert cmdline == [
+        engine,
+        '-L', '/some/path',
+        str(tmp_path / 'abc.elf'),
+        'arg1', 'arg2 arg3', 'arg4'
+    ]
+
+def test_runner_flow_no_args(tmp_path: Path, test_user_mode_layer: Path):
+    engine = place_echo_args(tmp_path / 'qemu' / 'qemu-aarch64')
+
+    run_make_runner('-l', test_user_mode_layer, '-o', tmp_path / 'test.pyz', cwd=tmp_path)
+    with with_cwd(tmp_path):
+        cmdline = capture_runner_cmdline(tmp_path / 'test.pyz', 'abc.elf')
+
+    assert cmdline == [
+        engine,
+        '-L', '/some/path',
+        str(tmp_path / 'abc.elf')
+    ]
+
 
 def assert_arg_set_in_cmdline(arg_set: List[str], cmdline: List[str]):
     if len(arg_set) == 1: