diff --git a/workflow/rna-seq.nf b/workflow/rna-seq.nf
index 7246fdf7fa9bf6ead553325034d16b2ce4056c5e..dd2729835958addcf710ca10ff0069d321f003f7 100644
--- a/workflow/rna-seq.nf
+++ b/workflow/rna-seq.nf
@@ -2014,18 +2014,18 @@ process aggrQC {
     else
       input=\${echo "Inferred\t${speciesI} (FORCED)\t")
     fi
-    input=\$(echo "\${input}${endsI}\t")
+    input=\$(echo \${input}"${endsI}\t")
     if [ "${params.strandedForce}" == "" ]
     then
-      input=\$(echo "\${input}${strandedI}\t")
+      input=\$(echo \${input}"${strandedI}\t")
     else
-      input=$(echo "\${input}${strandedI} (FORCED)\t")
+      input=$(echo \${input}"${strandedI} (FORCED)\t")
     fi
     if [ "${params.spikeForce}" == "" ]
     then
-      input=$(echo "\${input}${spikeI}\t-\t-\t-\t-"")
+      input=$(echo \${input}"${spikeI}\t-\t-\t-\t-"")
     else
-      input=$(echo "\${input}${spikeI} (FORCED)\t-\t-\t-\t-" >> metadata.tsv
+      input=$(echo \${input}"${spikeI} (FORCED)\t-\t-\t-\t-" >> metadata.tsv
     fi
     echo -e \${input} >> metadata.tsv
     echo -e "Measured\t-\t${endsManual}\t-\t-\t'${rawReadsI}'\t'${assignedReadsI}'\t'${readLengthI}'\t'${tinMedI}'" >> metadata.tsv