diff --git a/lisp/ob-table.el b/lisp/ob-table.el
index d11df9abc..f6a5c88e4 100644
--- a/lisp/ob-table.el
+++ b/lisp/ob-table.el
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ NOTE: By default, string variable names are interpreted as
 references to source-code blocks, to force interpretation of a
 cell's value as a string, prefix the identifier a \"$\" (e.g.,
 \"$$2\" instead of \"$2\" or \"$@2$2\" instead of \"@2$2\").
-This will not work with a range; instead, pass it as a list,
-e.g. (org-sbe fun (r (list $1..$2))).
 
 NOTE: It is also possible to pass header arguments to the code
 block.  In this case a table cell should hold the string value of
@@ -114,7 +112,7 @@ as shown in the example below.
 				      (prog1 nil (setq quote t))
 				    (prog1
 					(cond
-					 (quote (format "%S" el))
+					 (quote (format "\"%s\"" el))
 					 ((stringp el) (org-no-properties el))
 					 (t el))
 				      (setq quote nil))))
@@ -134,17 +132,12 @@ as shown in the example below.
                                  "("
                                  (mapconcat
                                   (lambda (var-spec)
-                                    (cond
-				     ((> (length (cdr var-spec)) 1)
-				      (format "%S='%S"
-					      (car var-spec)
-					      (mapcar #'read (cdr var-spec))))
-				     ((stringp (cadr var-spec))
-				      (format "%S=%s"
-                                              (car var-spec) (cadr var-spec)))
-				     (t
-				      (format "%S=%S"
-                                              (car var-spec) (cadr var-spec)))))
+                                    (if (> (length (cdr var-spec)) 1)
+                                        (format "%S='%S"
+                                                (car var-spec)
+                                                (mapcar #'read (cdr var-spec)))
+                                      (format "%S=%s"
+                                              (car var-spec) (cadr var-spec))))
                                   ',variables ", ")
                                  ")")))))
                    (org-babel-execute-src-block
diff --git a/testing/lisp/test-ob-table.el b/testing/lisp/test-ob-table.el
index fb6d05796..da136cbee 100644
--- a/testing/lisp/test-ob-table.el
+++ b/testing/lisp/test-ob-table.el
@@ -30,51 +30,6 @@
 ;;   (org-test-at-id "6d2ff4ce-4489-4e2a-9c65-e3f71f77d975"
 ;;     (should (= 2 (sbe take-sqrt (n "4"))))))
 
-(ert-deftest test-ob-table/sbe-quote ()
-  "Test that `org-sbe' can correctly handle cell values containing quotes."
-  (org-test-table-target-expect
-   "
-#+name: identity
-#+begin_src emacs-lisp :eval yes
-  x
-#+end_src
-
-| a\"b\"c | replace |
-"
-   "
-#+name: identity
-#+begin_src emacs-lisp :eval yes
-  x
-#+end_src
-
-| a\"b\"c | a\"b\"c |
-"
-   1
-   "#+TBLFM: $2 = '(org-sbe identity (x $$1))"))
-
-(ert-deftest test-ob-table/sbe-list ()
-  "Test that `org-sbe' can correctly handle ranges as lists."
-  (org-test-table-target-expect
-   "
-#+name: concat
-#+begin_src emacs-lisp :eval yes
-  (mapconcat #'identity x \"\")
-#+end_src
-
-| foo | bar | replace |
-"
-   "
-#+name: concat
-#+begin_src emacs-lisp :eval yes
-  (mapconcat #'identity x \"\")
-#+end_src
-
-| foo | bar | foobar |
-"
-   1
-   "#+TBLFM: $3 = '(org-sbe concat (x   (list $1..$2)))"
-   "#+TBLFM: $3 = '(org-sbe concat (x $ (list $1..$2)))"))
-
 (provide 'test-ob-table)
 
 ;;; test-ob-table.el ends here