diff --git a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
index b6cffa18fe..896d975e63 100755
--- a/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
+++ b/ci/testnet-deploy.sh
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ set -x
 # Build a string to pass zone opts to $cloudProvider.sh: "-z zone1 -z zone2 ..."
 zone_args=()
 for val in "${zone[@]}"; do
-  zone_args+="-z $val "
+  zone_args+=("-z $val")
 done
 
 if ! $skipSetup; then
   echo "--- $cloudProvider.sh delete"
-  time net/"$cloudProvider".sh delete ${zone_args[*]} -p "$netName" ${externalNode:+-x}
+  time net/"$cloudProvider".sh delete ${zone_args[@]} -p "$netName" ${externalNode:+-x}
   if $delete; then
     exit 0
   fi
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ if ! $skipSetup; then
     -c "$clientNodeCount"
     -n "$additionalFullNodeCount"
   )
-  create_args+=(${zone_args[*]})
+  create_args+=(${zone_args[@]})
 
   if $blockstreamer; then
     create_args+=(-u)
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ else
   config_args=(
     -p "$netName"
   )
-  config_args+=(${zone_args[*]})
+  config_args+=(${zone_args[@]})
   if $publicNetwork; then
     config_args+=(-P)
   fi
diff --git a/ci/testnet-manager.sh b/ci/testnet-manager.sh
index 47d11a3bfa..42f90674fc 100755
--- a/ci/testnet-manager.sh
+++ b/ci/testnet-manager.sh
@@ -231,23 +231,23 @@ start() {
       # Build an array to pass as opts to testnet-deploy.sh: "-z zone1 -z zone2 ..."
       GCE_ZONE_ARGS=()
       for val in "${GCE_ZONES[@]}"; do
-        GCE_ZONE_ARGS+="-z $val "
+        GCE_ZONE_ARGS+=("-z $val")
       done
 
       EC2_ZONE_ARGS=()
       for val in "${EC2_ZONES[@]}"; do
-        EC2_ZONE_ARGS+="-z $val "
+        EC2_ZONE_ARGS+=("-z $val")
       done
 
       NO_VALIDATOR_SANITY=1 \
       RUST_LOG=solana=info \
-        ci/testnet-deploy.sh -p beta-testnet-solana-com -C ec2 ${EC2_ZONE_ARGS[*]} \
+        ci/testnet-deploy.sh -p beta-testnet-solana-com -C ec2 ${EC2_ZONE_ARGS[@]} \
           -t "$CHANNEL_OR_TAG" -n 60 -c 0 -s -u -P -a eipalloc-0f286cf8a0771ce35 \
           ${maybeReuseLedger:+-r} \
           ${maybeDelete:+-D}
       NO_VALIDATOR_SANITY=1 \
       RUST_LOG=solana=info \
-        ci/testnet-deploy.sh -p beta-testnet-solana-com -C gce ${GCE_ZONE_ARGS[*]} \
+        ci/testnet-deploy.sh -p beta-testnet-solana-com -C gce ${GCE_ZONE_ARGS[@]} \
           -t "$CHANNEL_OR_TAG" -n 40 -c 0 -x -P \
           ${maybeReuseLedger:+-r} \
           ${maybeDelete:+-D}