diff --git a/meshroom/core/attribute.py b/meshroom/core/attribute.py
index ee8f2cb5..81bff521 100644
--- a/meshroom/core/attribute.py
+++ b/meshroom/core/attribute.py
@@ -516,10 +516,10 @@ class ListAttribute(Attribute):
     def getValueStr(self, withQuotes=True):
         assert(isinstance(self.value, ListModel))
         if self.attributeDesc.joinChar == ' ':
-            return self.attributeDesc.joinChar.join([v.getValueStr(withQuotes=True) for v in self.value])
+            return self.attributeDesc.joinChar.join([v.getValueStr(withQuotes=withQuotes) for v in self.value])
         else:
             v = self.attributeDesc.joinChar.join([v.getValueStr(withQuotes=False) for v in self.value])
-            if v:
+            if withQuotes and v:
                 return '"{}"'.format(v)
             return v
 
diff --git a/meshroom/core/node.py b/meshroom/core/node.py
index c62cdf2a..608d810f 100644
--- a/meshroom/core/node.py
+++ b/meshroom/core/node.py
@@ -709,9 +709,10 @@ class BaseNode(BaseObject):
                 group = attr.attributeDesc.group(attr.node) if isinstance(attr.attributeDesc.group, types.FunctionType) else attr.attributeDesc.group
                 if group is not None:
                     # if there is a valid command line "group"
-                    v = attr.getValueStr()
+                    v = attr.getValueStr(withQuotes=True)
                     cmdVars[name] = '--{name} {value}'.format(name=name, value=v)
-                    cmdVars[name + 'Value'] = v
+                    # xxValue is exposed without quotes to allow to compose expressions
+                    cmdVars[name + 'Value'] = attr.getValueStr(withQuotes=False)
 
                     # List elements may give a fully empty string and will not be sent to the command line.
                     # String attributes will return only quotes if it is empty and thus will be send to the command line.
@@ -763,10 +764,11 @@ class BaseNode(BaseObject):
                 except ValueError as e:
                     logging.warning('Invalid expression value on "{nodeName}.{attrName}" with value "{defaultValue}".\nError: {err}'.format(nodeName=self.name, attrName=attr.name, defaultValue=defaultValue, err=str(e)))
 
-            v = attr.getValueStr()
+            v = attr.getValueStr(withQuotes=True)
 
             self._cmdVars[name] = '--{name} {value}'.format(name=name, value=v)
-            self._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] = v
+            # xxValue is exposed without quotes to allow to compose expressions
+            self._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] = attr.getValueStr(withQuotes=False)
 
             if v:
                 self._cmdVars[attr.attributeDesc.group] = self._cmdVars.get(attr.attributeDesc.group, '') + \
diff --git a/tests/test_nodeCommandLineFormatting.py b/tests/test_nodeCommandLineFormatting.py
index 16e1885d..8cf8c907 100644
--- a/tests/test_nodeCommandLineFormatting.py
+++ b/tests/test_nodeCommandLineFormatting.py
@@ -29,34 +29,37 @@ def test_formatting_listOfFiles():
     n1.featuresFolders.resetValue()
     assert n1.featuresFolders.getValueStr() == ''
 
-    value = '"/non/existing/fileA" "/non/existing/with space/fileB"'
     n1.featuresFolders.extend(inputImages)
-    assert n1.featuresFolders.getValueStr() == value
+    assert n1.featuresFolders.getValueStr() == '"/non/existing/fileA" "/non/existing/with space/fileB"'
 
     n1._buildCmdVars()  # prepare vars for command line creation
     # and check some values
     name = 'featuresFolders'
-    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == value
+    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '/non/existing/fileA /non/existing/with space/fileB'
 
 
 def test_formatting_strings():
     graph = Graph('')
     n1 = graph.addNewNode('ImageMatching')
     name = 'weights'
-    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '""'  # Empty string should generate empty quotes
+    assert n1.weights.getValueStr() == '""'  # Empty string should generate empty quotes
+    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == ''
     name = 'method'
-    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '"SequentialAndVocabularyTree"'
+    assert n1.method.getValueStr() == '"SequentialAndVocabularyTree"'
+    assert n1._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == 'SequentialAndVocabularyTree'
 
     n2 = graph.addNewNode('ImageMatching')
     n2._buildCmdVars()  # prepare vars for command line creation
     name = 'featuresFolders'
-    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == ''  # Empty list should become fully empty
+    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '', 'Empty list should become fully empty'
     n2.featuresFolders.extend('')
     n2._buildCmdVars()  # prepare vars for command line creation
-    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '""'  # A list with one empty string should generate empty quotes
+    assert n2.featuresFolders.getValueStr() == '""', 'A list with one empty string should generate empty quotes'
+    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '', 'The Value is always only the value, so empty here'
     n2.featuresFolders.extend('')
     n2._buildCmdVars()  # prepare vars for command line creation
-    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '"" ""'  # A list with 2 empty strings should generate quotes
+    assert n2.featuresFolders.getValueStr() == '"" ""', 'A list with 2 empty strings should generate quotes'
+    assert n2._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == ' ', 'The Value is always only the value, so 2 empty with the space separator in the middle'
 
 
 def test_formatting_groups():
@@ -64,9 +67,11 @@ def test_formatting_groups():
     n3 = graph.addNewNode('ImageProcessing')
     n3._buildCmdVars()  # prepare vars for command line creation
     name = 'sharpenFilter'
-    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '"False:3:1.0:0.0"'
+    assert n3.sharpenFilter.getValueStr() == '"False:3:1.0:0.0"'
+    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == 'False:3:1.0:0.0', 'The Value is always only the value, so no quotes'
     name = 'fillHoles'
-    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == 'False'  # Booleans
+    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == 'False', 'Booleans'
     name = 'noiseFilter'
-    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == '"False:uniform:0.0:1.0:True"'
+    assert n3.noiseFilter.getValueStr() == '"False:uniform:0.0:1.0:True"'
+    assert n3._cmdVars[name + 'Value'] == 'False:uniform:0.0:1.0:True'