diff --git a/docker/scripts/py_setup.sh b/docker/scripts/py_setup.sh
index ce6cab506a08a57a4cecdfc69d4b5368181ce25a..55269f503d588a00dd2c1b7487fdd3554a4890f3 100755
--- a/docker/scripts/py_setup.sh
+++ b/docker/scripts/py_setup.sh
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ cat <<EOF >"/home/${DEFAULT_USER}/.config/rstudio/rstudio-prefs.json"
 }
 EOF
 
-# setup reticulate environment variable
+# setup reticulate environment variables
 cat <<EOF >"/home/${DEFAULT_USER}/.Rprofile"
 Sys.setenv("RETICULATE_PYTHON_ENV"="${MAMBA_ENV_DIR}")
 Sys.setenv("RETICULATE_CONDA"="${MAMBA_EXE}")
 EOF
-chown "${DEFAULT_USER}:${DEFAULT_USER}" "/home/${DEFAULT_USER}/.Rprofile"
+chown "${DEFAULT_USER}":"${DEFAULT_USER}" "/home/${DEFAULT_USER}/.Rprofile"
 
 # change matplotlib default figure dpi
 "${MAMBA_ENV_DIR}/bin/python" -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.matplotlib_fname())" | \