diff --git a/scripts/utils/helpers.py b/scripts/utils/helpers.py
index ac004a6..31f7173 100644
--- a/scripts/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/scripts/utils/helpers.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import configparser
+from configparser import ConfigParser
 import datetime
 import glob
 import os
@@ -16,11 +16,20 @@ THISRUN = os.path.expanduser('~/BirdNET-Pi/scripts/thisrun.txt')
 ANALYZING_NOW = os.path.expanduser('~/BirdNET-Pi/analyzing_now.txt')
 
 
+class PHPConfigParser(ConfigParser):
+    def get(self, section, option, *, raw=False, vars=None, fallback=None):
+        value = super().get(section, option, raw=raw, vars=vars, fallback=fallback)
+        if raw:
+            return value
+        else:
+            return value.strip('"')
+
+
 def _load_settings(settings_path='/etc/birdnet/birdnet.conf', force_reload=False):
     global _settings
     if _settings is None or force_reload:
         with open(settings_path) as f:
-            parser = configparser.ConfigParser()
+            parser = PHPConfigParser()
             # preserve case
             parser.optionxform = lambda option: option
             lines = chain(("[top]",), f)
@@ -37,8 +46,8 @@ def get_settings(settings_path='/etc/birdnet/birdnet.conf', force_reload=False):
 def write_settings(file_name=THISRUN):
     settings = _load_settings()
     with open(file_name, 'w') as configfile:
-        for key, value in settings.items():
-            configfile.write(f'{key}={value}\n')
+        for key in settings.keys():
+            configfile.write(f'{key}={settings.get(key, raw=True)}\n')
     os.chmod(file_name, stat.S_IRUSR | stat.S_IWUSR | stat.S_IRGRP | stat.S_IWGRP)