diff --git a/tao/code/tao_locate_elements.f90 b/tao/code/tao_locate_elements.f90
index a87ab7945b..65a7683a08 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_locate_elements.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_locate_elements.f90
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ subroutine tao_locate_elements (ele_list, ix_universe, eles, err, lat_type, igno
 call re_allocate_eles (eles, 0, exact = .true.)
 
 call str_upcase (ele_name, ele_list)
+ele_name = unquote(ele_name)
 call string_trim (ele_name, ele_name, ix)
 
 if (ix == 0 .and. logic_option(.false., ignore_blank)) then
diff --git a/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90 b/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
index ba5f023035..edcf9d9cf4 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ subroutine tao_set_beam_cmd (who, value_str, branch_str)
     u%beam%dump_file = value_str
 
   case ('dump_at', 'beam_dump_at')
-    call tao_locate_elements (value_str, u%ix_uni, eles, err)
+    call tao_locate_elements (value_str, u%ix_uni, eles, err, ignore_blank = .true.)
     if (err) then
       call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BAD DUMP_AT STRING: ' // value_str)
       return
@@ -1065,7 +1065,7 @@ subroutine tao_set_beam_cmd (who, value_str, branch_str)
     enddo
 
   case ('saved_at', 'beam_saved_at')
-    call tao_locate_elements (value_str, u%ix_uni, eles, err)
+    call tao_locate_elements (value_str, u%ix_uni, eles, err, ignore_blank = .true.)
     if (err) then
       call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BAD SAVED_AT STRING: ' // value_str)
       return