diff --git a/ego/premain/core/core.go b/ego/premain/core/core.go
index 99e9a91..00dccd2 100644
--- a/ego/premain/core/core.go
+++ b/ego/premain/core/core.go
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ func PreMain(payload string, mounter Mounter, fs afero.Fs, hostEnviron []string)
 	// Convert host environment string array to key-value map
 	hostEnvironMap := make(map[string]string, len(hostEnviron))
 	for _, envVar := range hostEnviron {
-		splitString := strings.Split(envVar, "=")
-		hostEnvironMap[splitString[0]] = splitString[1]
+		envName, envValue, _ := strings.Cut(envVar, "=")
+		hostEnvironMap[envName] = envValue
 	}
 
 	// Check if we run as a Marble or a normal EGo application
diff --git a/ego/premain/core/core_test.go b/ego/premain/core/core_test.go
index 0c56018..658d7d8 100644
--- a/ego/premain/core/core_test.go
+++ b/ego/premain/core/core_test.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func TestPremain(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	require := require.New(t)
 
-	hostEnviron := []string{"EDG_CWD=/host"}
+	hostEnviron := []string{"EDG_CWD=/host", "EDG_CONTAINS_EQUAL_SIGN=foo=bar"}
 	fs := afero.NewMemMapFs()
 
 	// sane default values
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ func TestPremain(t *testing.T) {
 	// Supply valid payload, no Marble
 	mounter := assertionMounter{assert: assert, expectedMounts: conf.Mounts, usedTargets: make(map[string]bool), remountAsHostFS: false}
 	assert.NoError(PreMain("", &mounter, fs, hostEnviron))
+	assert.Equal("foo=bar", os.Getenv("EDG_CONTAINS_EQUAL_SIGN"))
 
 	// Supply valid payload, no Marble
 	payload, err := json.Marshal(conf)