diff --git a/s3h.sh b/s3h.sh
index 2782c26..96764e2 100755
--- a/s3h.sh
+++ b/s3h.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if [[ $# -eq 1 && -d "$1" ]]; then
 	START_DIR="$1"
 fi
 
-START_DIR=`realpath "$START_DIR"`
+START_DIR=$(realpath "$START_DIR")
 
 if [[ ! -d "$START_DIR" ]]; then
 	echo "start directory '$START_DIR' does not exist" >&2
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ LAST="$START_DIR/.last"
 # check if there was a last call, if so fake while loop variable
 preselect=''
 if [[ -f "$LAST" ]]; then
-	last=`cat "$LAST"`
+	last=$(cat "$LAST")
 	# check if config file still exists
 	if [[ -f "$last" ]]; then
-		dir=`dirname "$last"`
-		preselect=`basename "$last"`
+		dir=$(dirname "$last")
+		preselect=$(basename "$last")
 	fi
 fi
 
@@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ while [[ -z "$configFile" ]]; do
 	fi
 
 	# add directory selectors
-	dirs=`find $dir -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 ! -name '.*' -type d -printf "%f\n" |sort`
+	dirs=$(find $dir -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 ! -name '.*' -type d -printf "%f\n" |sort)
 	for d in $dirs; do
 		para+=("$d" "<$d>")
 	done
 	# add file selectors
-	files=`find $dir -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 ! -name '.*' -type f -printf "%f\n" |sort`
+	files=$(find $dir -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 ! -name '.*' -type f -printf "%f\n" |sort)
 	for d in $files; do
 		# text before ~ is tag
 		if [[ "$d" == *"~"* ]]; then
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ while [[ -z "$configFile" ]]; do
 			configFile=$ret
 		fi
 	else
-		dir=`dirname "$dir"`
+		dir=$(dirname "$dir")
 	fi
 done
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ if [[ -f "$configFile" ]]; then
 	echo "$configFile" > "$LAST"
 
 	# extract user@host if ~ in config file name
-	login=`basename "$configFile"`
+	login=$(basename "$configFile")
 	if [[ "$login" == *"~"* ]]; then
 		login="${login#*~}"
 	fi