diff --git a/plugins/pck-update.in b/plugins/pck-update.in
index 4f12a2a..2f0c946 100644
--- a/plugins/pck-update.in
+++ b/plugins/pck-update.in
@@ -478,7 +478,8 @@ rpm -q $USER_RPMDEFINE_OPTS --specfile --specedit $SRPM_SPECFILE_WITH_PATH \
         [ "$SPEC_BUILDREQUIRES" ] || specfile.getvars -s $SPECFILE_PREPROCESSED SPEC_BUILDREQUIRES
         [ "$SPEC_BUILDROOT"     ] || specfile.getvars -s $SPECFILE_PREPROCESSED SPEC_BUILDROOT
 
-        SPEC_OBSOLETES_ESCAPED=`echo "(${SPEC_OBSOLETES[*]})" | sed "s|<|\<|;s|>|\>|"`
+        # escape '<' and '>' characters
+        SPEC_OBSOLETES_ESCAPED=`echo "${SPEC_OBSOLETES[*]}" | sed "s|<|\<|;s|>|\>|"`
 
         echo "\
 SPEC_NAME=\"$SPEC_NAME\"