diff --git a/cmake/nuttx_kconfig.cmake b/cmake/nuttx_kconfig.cmake
index 2b19a1cd74b..b20d7860f5b 100644
--- a/cmake/nuttx_kconfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/nuttx_kconfig.cmake
@@ -18,14 +18,36 @@
 #
 # ##############################################################################
 
+macro(encode_brackets contents)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "\\[" "__OPEN_BRACKET__" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "\\]" "__CLOSE_BRACKET__" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+endmacro()
+
+macro(decode_brackets contents)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "__OPEN_BRACKET__" "[" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "__CLOSE_BRACKET__" "]" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+endmacro()
+
+macro(encode_semicolon contents)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE ";" "__SEMICOLON__" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+endmacro()
+
+macro(decode_semicolon contents)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "__SEMICOLON__" ";" ${contents} "${${contents}}")
+endmacro()
+
 function(nuttx_export_kconfig_by_value kconfigfile config)
   file(STRINGS ${kconfigfile} ConfigContents)
+  encode_brackets(ConfigContents)
   foreach(NameAndValue ${ConfigContents})
+    decode_brackets(NameAndValue)
+    encode_semicolon(NameAndValue)
     string(REGEX REPLACE "^[ ]+" "" NameAndValue ${NameAndValue})
     string(REGEX MATCH "^CONFIG[^=]+" Name ${NameAndValue})
     if(Name STREQUAL ${config})
       string(REPLACE "${Name}=" "" Value ${NameAndValue})
       string(REPLACE "\"" "" Value ${Value})
+      decode_semicolon(Value)
       set(${Name}
           ${Value}
           PARENT_SCOPE)
@@ -41,7 +63,10 @@ function(nuttx_export_kconfig kconfigfile)
     set(${key} PARENT_SCOPE)
   endforeach()
   file(STRINGS ${kconfigfile} ConfigContents)
+  encode_brackets(ConfigContents)
   foreach(NameAndValue ${ConfigContents})
+    decode_brackets(NameAndValue)
+    encode_semicolon(NameAndValue)
     # Strip leading spaces
     string(REGEX REPLACE "^[ ]+" "" NameAndValue ${NameAndValue})
 
@@ -54,7 +79,7 @@ function(nuttx_export_kconfig kconfigfile)
 
       # remove extra quotes
       string(REPLACE "\"" "" Value ${Value})
-
+      decode_semicolon(Value)
       # Set the variable
       set(${Name}
           ${Value}
diff --git a/cmake/nuttx_mkconfig.cmake b/cmake/nuttx_mkconfig.cmake
index fc040eb840e..71500c355aa 100644
--- a/cmake/nuttx_mkconfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/nuttx_mkconfig.cmake
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ file(APPEND ${CONFIG_H}
 file(APPEND ${CONFIG_H} "#define CONFIG_BASE_DEFCONFIG \"${BASE_DEFCONFIG}\"\n")
 
 file(STRINGS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/.config ConfigContents)
+encode_brackets(ConfigContents)
 foreach(NameAndValue ${ConfigContents})
+  decode_brackets(NameAndValue)
+  encode_semicolon(NameAndValue)
   string(REGEX REPLACE "^[ ]+" "" NameAndValue ${NameAndValue})
   string(REGEX MATCH "^CONFIG[^=]+" NAME ${NameAndValue})
   # skip BASE_DEFCONFIG here as it is handled above
@@ -121,6 +124,7 @@ foreach(NameAndValue ${ConfigContents})
         endif()
       endforeach()
       if(NOT "${VALUE}" STREQUAL "")
+        decode_semicolon(VALUE)
         file(APPEND ${CONFIG_H} "#define ${NAME} ${VALUE}\n")
       endif()
     endif()