diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index d7a551e2e..e610db745 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ module_remap_source_la_LDFLAGS = $(MODULE_LDFLAGS)
 module_remap_source_la_LIBADD = $(MODULE_LIBADD)
 
 module_ladspa_sink_la_SOURCES = modules/module-ladspa-sink.c modules/ladspa.h
-module_ladspa_sink_la_CFLAGS = -DLADSPA_PATH=\"$(libdir)/ladspa:/usr/local/lib/ladspa:/usr/lib/ladspa:/usr/local/lib64/ladspa:/usr/lib64/ladspa\" $(AM_CFLAGS) $(SERVER_CFLAGS)
+module_ladspa_sink_la_CFLAGS = -DLADSPA_PATH="$(libdir)/ladspa:/usr/local/lib/ladspa:/usr/lib/ladspa:/usr/local/lib64/ladspa:/usr/lib64/ladspa" $(AM_CFLAGS) $(SERVER_CFLAGS)
 module_ladspa_sink_la_LDFLAGS = $(MODULE_LDFLAGS)
 module_ladspa_sink_la_LIBADD = $(MODULE_LIBADD) $(LIBLTDL)
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c b/src/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
index c2c7c85d9..38be12b95 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-ladspa-sink.c
@@ -1048,8 +1048,15 @@ int pa__init(pa_module*m) {
     u->output = NULL;
     u->ss = ss;
 
+    /* If the LADSPA_PATH environment variable is not set, we use the
+     * LADSPA_PATH preprocessor macro instead. The macro can contain characters
+     * that need to be escaped (especially on Windows backslashes are common).
+     * The "#" preprocessor operator helpfully adds the required escaping while
+     * turning the LADSPA_PATH macro into a string. */
+#define QUOTE_MACRO(x) #x
     if (!(e = getenv("LADSPA_PATH")))
-        e = LADSPA_PATH;
+        e = QUOTE_MACRO(LADSPA_PATH);
+#undef QUOTE_MACRO
 
     /* FIXME: This is not exactly thread safe */
     t = pa_xstrdup(lt_dlgetsearchpath());