diff --git a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/metadata/plugin_metadata_test.h b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/metadata/plugin_metadata_test.h
index fd4a97fe..2f9af8ba 100644
--- a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/metadata/plugin_metadata_test.h
+++ b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/metadata/plugin_metadata_test.h
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ TEST_F(PluginMetadataTest,
 
   EXPECT_EQ(
       "name: 'Blank.esm'\n"
-      "after: ['Blank.esm']",
+      "after: [ 'Blank.esm' ]",
       plugin.AsYaml());
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs b/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
index 19502563..aafd5a40 100644
--- a/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\nafter: ['{}']",
+                    "name: '{}'\nafter: [ '{}' ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.load_after[0].name()
                 ),
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\nafter: ['{}']",
+                    "name: '{}'\nafter: [ '{}' ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.load_after[0].name()
                 ),
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\nreq: ['{}']",
+                    "name: '{}'\nreq: [ '{}' ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.requirements[0].name()
                 ),
@@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\ninc: ['{}']",
+                    "name: '{}'\ninc: [ '{}' ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.incompatibilities[0].name()
                 ),
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\ntag: [{}]",
+                    "name: '{}'\ntag: [ {} ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.tags[0].name()
                 ),
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             assert_eq!(
                 format!(
-                    "name: '{}'\nurl: ['{}']",
+                    "name: '{}'\nurl: [ '{}' ]",
                     plugin.name(),
                     plugin.locations[0].url()
                 ),
diff --git a/src/metadata/yaml/emit.rs b/src/metadata/yaml/emit.rs
index ffef4961..1f187701 100644
--- a/src/metadata/yaml/emit.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/yaml/emit.rs
@@ -308,7 +308,9 @@ impl<T: EmitYaml> EmitYaml for &[T] {
             [element] if element.is_scalar() => {
                 emitter.set_flow_style();
                 emitter.begin_array();
+                emitter.write(" ");
                 element.emit_yaml(emitter);
+                emitter.write(" ");
                 emitter.end_array();
                 emitter.set_block_style();
             }