diff --git a/workflow/conf/multiqc_config.yaml b/workflow/conf/multiqc_config.yaml
index 99a861cfcbcec497a3818aabb67c2e8d83923c19..5d57d0959e27bb34e7e3631e09dc062946f1635a 100644
--- a/workflow/conf/multiqc_config.yaml
+++ b/workflow/conf/multiqc_config.yaml
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ custom_data:
         pconfig:
             id: 'rid'
         headers:
-            Replicate RID
-            Experiment RID
-            Study RID
+            'Replicate RID:'
+            'Experiment RID:'
+            'Study RID:'
     meta:
         file_format: 'tsv'
         section_name: 'Metadata'
@@ -75,15 +75,15 @@ custom_data:
         pconfig:
             id: 'meta'
         headers:
-            Source
-            Species
-            Ends
-            Stranded
-            Spike-in
-            Raw Reads
-            Assigned Reads
-            Median Read Length
-            Median TIN
+            'Source:'
+            'Species:'
+            'Ends:'
+            'Stranded:'
+            'Spike-in:'
+            'Raw Reads:'
+            'Assigned Reads:'
+            'Median Read Length:'
+            'Median TIN:'
 
         file_format: 'tsv'
         section_name: 'TIN'
diff --git a/workflow/rna-seq.nf b/workflow/rna-seq.nf
index 7621289a040cb71be5f22134527e477c6849210e..f73e4ca57d6bf254590a4fe4f75ad0097ff04819 100644
--- a/workflow/rna-seq.nf
+++ b/workflow/rna-seq.nf
@@ -1024,15 +1024,15 @@ process aggrQC {
 
     # make RID table
     echo -e "LOG: creating RID table" >> ${repRID}.aggrQC.log
-    echo -e "Replicate RID\tExperiment RID\tStudy RID" > rid.tsv
+    echo -e "Replicate RID:\tExperiment RID:\tStudy RID:" > rid.tsv
     echo -e "${repRID}\t${expRID}\t${studyRID}" >> rid.tsv
 
     # make metadata table
     echo -e "LOG: creating metadata table" >> ${repRID}.aggrQC.log
-    echo -e "Source\tSpecies\tEnds\tStranded\tSpike-in\tRaw Reads\tAssigned Reads\tMedian Read Length\tMedian TIN" > metadata.tsv
-    echo -e "Submitter\t${speciesM}\t${endsM}\t${strandedM}\t${spikeM}\t-\t-\t${readLengthM}\t-" >> metadata.tsv
+    echo -e "Source\tSpecies:\tEnds:\tStranded:\tSpike-in:\tRaw Reads:\tAssigned Reads:\tMedian Read Length:\tMedian TIN:" > metadata.tsv
+    echo -e "Submitter\t${speciesM}\t${endsM}\t${strandedM}\t${spikeM}\t-\t-\t'${readLengthM}'\t-" >> metadata.tsv
     echo -e "Infered\t${speciesI}\t${endsI}\t${strandedI}\t${spikeI}\t-\t-\t-\t-" >> metadata.tsv
-    echo -e "Measured\t-\t${endsManual}\t-\t-\t${rawReadsI}\t${assignedReadsI}\t${readLengthI}\t${tinMedI}" >> metadata.tsv
+    echo -e "Measured\t-\t${endsManual}\t-\t-\t'${rawReadsI}'\t'${assignedReadsI}'\t'${readLengthI}'\t'${tinMedI}'" >> metadata.tsv
 
     # remove inner distance report if it is empty (SE repRID)
     echo -e "LOG: removing dummy inner distance file" >> ${repRID}.aggrQC.log