diff --git a/defaults/initrd.scripts b/defaults/initrd.scripts
index fd1e5fd..88f39cc 100644
--- a/defaults/initrd.scripts
+++ b/defaults/initrd.scripts
@@ -196,14 +196,14 @@ findmediamount() {
 			if [ -b "${x}" ]
 			then
 				skip=0
-				bsn=`basename "${x}"`
+				bsn=$(basename "${x}")
 				#
 				# If disk and it has at least one partition, skip.
 				# We use /sys/block/${bsn}/${bsn}[0-9]* to make sure that we
 				# don't skip device mapper devices. Even the craziest scenario
 				# deserves a fair chance.
 				#
-				for part in `ls /sys/block/${bsn}/${bsn}*[0-9]* 2>/dev/null`
+				for part in $(ls /sys/block/${bsn}/${bsn}*[0-9]* 2>/dev/null)
 				do
 					skip=1
 					break;
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ bootstrapCD() {
 
 bootstrapKey() {
 	# $1 = ROOT/SWAP
-	local KEYDEVS=`devicelist`
+	local KEYDEVS=$(devicelist)
 	eval local keyloc='"${CRYPT_'${1}'_KEY}"'
 
 	findmediamount "key" "${keyloc}" "CRYPT_${1}_KEYDEV" "/mnt/key" ${KEYDEVS}
@@ -328,27 +328,27 @@ mount_sysfs() {
 findnfsmount() {
 	if [ "${IP}" != '' ] || busybox udhcpc -n -T 15 -q
 	then
-		[ -e /rootpath ] && NFSROOT=`cat /rootpath`
+		[ -e /rootpath ] && NFSROOT=$(cat /rootpath)
 
 		if [ "${NFSROOT}" = '' ]
 		then
 			# Obtain NFSIP	
-			OPTIONS=`busybox dmesg | grep rootserver | sed -e "s/,/ /g"`
+			OPTIONS=$(busybox dmesg | grep rootserver | sed -e "s/,/ /g")
 			for OPTION in $OPTIONS
 			do
-				if [ `echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 1` = 'rootserver' ]
+				if [ $(echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 1) = 'rootserver' ]
 				then
-					NFSIP=`echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 2`
+					NFSIP=$(echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 2)
 				fi 
 			done
 			
 			# Obtain NFSPATH
-			OPTIONS=`busybox dmesg | grep rootpath | sed -e "s/,/ /g"`	
+			OPTIONS=$(busybox dmesg | grep rootpath | sed -e "s/,/ /g")
 			for OPTION in $OPTIONS
 			do
-				if [ `echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 1` = 'rootpath' ]
+				if [ $(echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 1) = 'rootpath' ]
 				then
-					NFSPATH=`echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 2`
+					NFSPATH=$(echo $OPTION | sed -e "s/=/ /g" | cut -d " " -f 2)
 		 		fi
 			done
 
@@ -408,17 +408,17 @@ find_real_device() {
 			local retval=1
 
 			if [ "${retval}" -ne 0 ]; then
-				REAL_DEVICE=`findfs "${DEVICE}" 2>/dev/null`
+				REAL_DEVICE=$(findfs "${DEVICE}" 2>/dev/null)
 				retval=$?
 			fi
 
 			if [ "$retval" -ne 0 ]; then
-				REAL_DEVICE=`busybox findfs "${DEVICE}" 2>/dev/null`
+				REAL_DEVICE=$(busybox findfs "${DEVICE}" 2>/dev/null)
 				retval=$?
 			fi
 
 			if [ "${retval}" -ne 0 ]; then
-				REAL_DEVICE=`blkid -o device -l -t "${DEVICE}"`
+				REAL_DEVICE=$(blkid -o device -l -t "${DEVICE}")
 				retval=$?
 			fi
 
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ prompt_user(){
 	bad_msg '- type "q" to skip...'
 	echo -n "${2}(${oldvalue}) :: "
 	read ${1}
-	case `eval echo '$'${1}` in
+	case $(eval echo '$'${1}) in
 		'q')
 			eval ${1}'='${oldvalue}
 			warn_msg "Skipping step, this will likely cause a boot failure."
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ cmdline_hwopts() {
 				MY_HWOPTS="${MY_HWOPTS} $x"
 			elif [ "${y}" = "no${x}" ]
 			then
-				MY_HWOPTS="`echo ${MY_HWOPTS} | sed -e \"s/${x}//g\" -`"
+				MY_HWOPTS="$(echo ${MY_HWOPTS} | sed -e \"s/${x}//g\" -)"
 			fi
 			if [ "$(echo ${y} | cut -b -7)" = "keymap=" ]
 			then
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ cmdline_hwopts() {
    
 	# Shouldnt need to sort this as the following loop should figure out the
 	# duplicates and strip them out
-	#MY_HWOPTS=`echo ${MY_HWOPTS}|  sort`
+	#MY_HWOPTS=$(echo ${MY_HWOPTS}|  sort)
 	
 	for x in ${MY_HWOPTS}
 	do
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ cmdline_hwopts() {
 			fi
 		done
 		TMP_HWOPTS="${TMP_HWOPTS} ${x}"
-		eval DO_`echo ${x} | sed 's/-//'`=1
+		eval DO_$(echo ${x} | sed 's/-//')=1
 	done
 
 	MY_HWOPTS=${TMP_HWOPTS}
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ startiscsi() {
 # $1 - root/swap
 openLUKS() {
 	# please use 'tr' and this line, or remove it
-	# eval local TYPE=`uppercase $1`
+	# eval local TYPE=$(uppercase $1)
 
 	case $1 in
 		root)
@@ -1238,10 +1238,10 @@ setup_md_device() {
 	[ -z "$1" ] && device="${REAL_ROOT}" || device="$1"
 	[ -z "${device}" ] && return # LiveCD
 
-	if [ `echo ${device}|sed -e 's#\(luks:\)\?\(/dev/md\)[[:digit:]]\+#\2#'` = "/dev/md" ]
+	if [ $(echo ${device}|sed -e 's#\(luks:\)\?\(/dev/md\)[[:digit:]]\+#\2#') = "/dev/md" ]
 	then
 		good_msg 'Detected real_root as a md device. Setting up the device node...'
-		MD_NUMBER=`echo ${device}|sed -e 's#\(luks:\)\?/dev/md\([[:digit:]]\+\)#\2#'`
+		MD_NUMBER=$(echo ${device}|sed -e 's#\(luks:\)\?/dev/md\([[:digit:]]\+\)#\2#')
 		if [ ! -e /dev/md${MD_NUMBER} ]
 		then
 			mknod /dev/md${MD_NUMBER} b 9 ${MD_NUMBER} >/dev/null 2>&1
diff --git a/defaults/linuxrc b/defaults/linuxrc
index 0051faa..82aa77a 100644
--- a/defaults/linuxrc
+++ b/defaults/linuxrc
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ for fs in $fslist; do
 	dev=$(get_mount_device $fs)
 	[ -z "${dev}" ] && continue
 	# Resolve it like util-linux mount does
-	[ -L ${dev} ] && dev=`readlink ${dev}`
+	[ -L ${dev} ] && dev=$(readlink ${dev})
 	# In this case, it's probably part of the filesystem
 	# and not a mountpoint
 	[ -z "$dev" ] && continue