diff --git a/src/slurmd/smgr.c b/src/slurmd/smgr.c
index a9ed0475cedb5b35bbb4480578e33c0c5f22c076..c7e2be61104fd8627423207621c5f9bba089fee9 100644
--- a/src/slurmd/smgr.c
+++ b/src/slurmd/smgr.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ _session_mgr(slurmd_job_t *job)
 	}
 
 	if (chdir(job->cwd) < 0) {
-		error("couldn't chdir to `%s': %m: going to /tmp instead",
+		error("couldn't chdir to '%s': %m: going to /tmp instead",
 		      job->cwd);
 		if (chdir("/tmp") < 0) {
 			error("couldn't chdir to /tmp either. dying.");