diff --git a/git-flow-hotfix b/git-flow-hotfix
index 4333e30..b8d4214 100644
--- a/git-flow-hotfix
+++ b/git-flow-hotfix
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 	typeset hotfix_branches
 	typeset current_branch
 	typeset short_names
-	hotfix_branches="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
+	hotfix_branches=$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")
 	if [ -z "$hotfix_branches" ]; then
 		warn "No hotfix branches exist."
 		exit 0
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 	typeset branch
 	for branch in $short_names; do
-		typeset fullname="$PREFIX$branch"
+		typeset fullname=$PREFIX$branch
 		typeset base=$(git merge-base "$fullname" "$MASTER_BRANCH")
 		typeset master_sha=$(git rev-parse "$MASTER_BRANCH")
 		typeset branch_sha=$(git rev-parse "$fullname")
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@
 				typeset tagname=$(git name-rev --tags --no-undefined --name-only $base)
 				typeset nicename
 				if [ "$tagname" != "" ]; then
-					nicename="$tagname"
+					nicename=$tagname
 				else
-					nicename="$(git rev-parse --short $base)"
+					nicename=$(git rev-parse --short $base)
 				fi
 				printf "(based on $nicename)"
 			fi
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	VERSION="$1"
+	VERSION=$1
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
 cmd_start() {
 	DEFINE_boolean fetch true "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
-	BASE="${2:-$MASTER_BRANCH}"
+	BASE=${2:-$MASTER_BRANCH}
 	require_version_arg
 	require_base_is_on_master