diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
index b11548a03..4b614aa98 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ class Programmer:
             cmdline += ["-s", scripts_path()]
         cmdline += ["-c", "; ".join(self.script())]
 
+        cmdline = [arg.replace("{", "{{").replace("}", "}}") for arg in cmdline]
         self._client.run_command(cmdline)
         self._client.download()