diff --git a/pygmt/figure.py b/pygmt/figure.py
index d670a3bae51..767b9aded92 100644
--- a/pygmt/figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/figure.py
@@ -192,8 +192,6 @@ def psconvert(self, **kwargs):
         # Default cropping the figure to True
         if "A" not in kwargs:
             kwargs["A"] = ""
-        # allow for spaces in figure name
-        kwargs["F"] = f'"{kwargs.get("F")}"' if kwargs.get("F") else None
         with Session() as lib:
             lib.call_module("psconvert", build_arg_string(kwargs))
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py b/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
index 4ac5d4f0592..b596d2b33d4 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ def test_figure_savefig_filename_with_spaces():
     fig.basemap(region=[0, 1, 0, 1], projection="X1c/1c", frame=True)
     with GMTTempFile(prefix="pygmt-filename with spaces", suffix=".png") as imgfile:
         fig.savefig(imgfile.name)
+        assert not r"\040" in os.path.abspath(imgfile.name)
         assert os.path.exists(imgfile.name)