diff --git a/git-flow-feature b/git-flow-feature
index bd0fe85..2e99eb3 100644
--- a/git-flow-feature
+++ b/git-flow-feature
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 	typeset feature_branches
 	typeset current_branch
 	typeset short_names
-	feature_branches="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
+	feature_branches=$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")
 	if [ -z "$feature_branches" ]; then
 		warn "No feature branches exist."
 		exit 0
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 
 	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")
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	NAME="$1"
+	NAME=$1
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$NAME
 }
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
 	DEFINE_boolean fetch false 'fetch from origin before performing local operation' F
 	DEFINE_boolean force false 'force creation of feature branch (ignores dirty working tree)' f
 	parse_args "$@"
-	BASE="${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}"
+	BASE=${2:-$DEVELOP_BRANCH}
 	require_name_arg
 
 	# sanity checks
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@
 		# exit code for "unmerged changes in working tree", which we should
 		# actually be testing for here
 		if gitflow_test_clean_working_tree; then
-			FINISH_BASE="$(cat "$GIT_DIR/.gitflow/MERGE_BASE")"
+			FINISH_BASE=$(cat "$GIT_DIR/.gitflow/MERGE_BASE")
 
 			# Since the working tree is now clean, either the user did a
 			# succesfull merge manually, or the merge was cancelled.
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
 
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
 
diff --git a/git-flow-support b/git-flow-support
index 2edd46e..07c9ed2 100644
--- a/git-flow-support
+++ b/git-flow-support
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 	typeset support_branches
 	typeset current_branch
 	typeset short_names
-	support_branches="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
+	support_branches=$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")
 	if [ -z "$support_branches" ]; then
 		warn "No support branches exist."
 		exit 0
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 	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")
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@
 				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 $nicename)"
 			fi
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@
 	eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
 
 	# read arguments into global variables
-	VERSION="$1"
-	BASE="$2"
+	VERSION=$1
+	BASE=$2
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
diff --git a/gitflow-common b/gitflow-common
index 4f2a85a..b1c42ac 100644
--- a/gitflow-common
+++ b/gitflow-common
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@
 # 2: Multiple matches found. These matches are written to stderr
 #
 resolve_nameprefix() {
-	typeset name="$1"
-	typeset prefix="$2"
+	typeset name=$1
+	typeset prefix=$2
 	typeset matches
 	typeset -i num_matches
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 		return 0
 	fi
 
-	matches="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$prefix$name")"
+	matches=$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$prefix$name")
 	num_matches=$(echo "$matches" | wc -l)
 	if [ -z "$matches" ]; then
 		# no prefix match, so take it literally