diff --git a/src/shell-integration/bash/bash-preexec.sh b/src/shell-integration/bash/bash-preexec.sh
index 14a677888..9d3357387 100644
--- a/src/shell-integration/bash/bash-preexec.sh
+++ b/src/shell-integration/bash/bash-preexec.sh
@@ -297,10 +297,8 @@ __bp_install() {
     trap '__bp_preexec_invoke_exec "$_"' DEBUG
 
     # Preserve any prior DEBUG trap as a preexec function
-    local prior_trap
-    # we can't easily do this with variable expansion. Leaving as sed command.
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2001
-    prior_trap=$(sed "s/[^']*'\(.*\)'[^']*/\1/" <<<"${__bp_trap_string:-}")
+    eval "local trap_argv=(${__bp_trap_string:-})"
+    local prior_trap=${trap_argv[2]:-}
     unset __bp_trap_string
     if [[ -n "$prior_trap" ]]; then
         eval '__bp_original_debug_trap() {