diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index 9750cc8..9da454b 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 	typeset release_branches
 	typeset current_branch
 	typeset short_names
-	release_branches="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
+	release_branches=$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")
 	if [ -z "$release_branches" ]; then
 		warn "No release branches exist."
 		exit 0
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 
 	typeset branch
 	for branch in $short_names; do
-		typeset fullname="$PREFIX$branch"
+		typeset fullname=$PREFIX$branch
 		typeset base=$(git merge-base "$fullname" "$DEVELOP_BRANCH")
 		typeset develop_sha=$(git rev-parse "$DEVELOP_BRANCH")
 		typeset branch_sha=$(git rev-parse "$fullname")
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 			if [ "$branch_sha" = "$develop_sha" ]; then
 				printf "(no commits yet)"
 			else
-				typeset nicename="$(git rev-parse --short $base)"
+				typeset nicename=$(git rev-parse --short $base)
 				printf "(based on $nicename)"
 			fi
 		else
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	VERSION="$1"
-	BRANCH="$PREFIX$VERSION"
+	VERSION=$1
+	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
 require_version_arg() {
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
 cmd_start() {
 	DEFINE_boolean fetch true "fetch from $ORIGIN before performing finish" F
 	parse_args "$@"
-	BASE="${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}"
+	BASE=${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}
 	require_version_arg
 	require_base_is_on_develop