diff --git a/rc/clang.kak b/rc/clang.kak
index 25bb3ad99..1c6bdbdb8 100644
--- a/rc/clang.kak
+++ b/rc/clang.kak
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def clang-complete %{
         (
             pos=-:${kak_cursor_line}:${kak_cursor_column}
             cd $(dirname ${kak_buffile})
-            output=$(clang++ -x c++ -fsyntax-only ${kak_opt_clang_options} -Xclang -code-completion-at=${pos} - < ${kak_opt_clang_filename} |& tee /tmp/kak-clang-out |
+            output=$(clang++ -x c++ -fsyntax-only ${kak_opt_clang_options} -Xclang -code-completion-at=${pos} - < ${kak_opt_clang_filename} 2>&1 | tee /tmp/kak-clang-out |
                      grep -E "^COMPLETION:[^:]+:" | perl -pe 's/^COMPLETION:[^:]+: +//; s/:/\\:/g; s/\[#.*?#\]|<#.*?#>(, *|\))?|\{#.*?#\}\)?//g')
             rm -r $(dirname ${kak_opt_clang_filename})
             completions="${kak_cursor_line}.${kak_cursor_column}@${kak_timestamp}"
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def clang-complete %{
                 completions="${completions}:${cmp}"
             done
             echo "eval -client $kak_client %[ echo completed; set buffer completions '${completions}' ]" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-        ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+        ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/rc/client.kak b/rc/client.kak
index a1a58a359..06acb6d7c 100644
--- a/rc/client.kak
+++ b/rc/client.kak
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 decl str termcmd %sh{
-    if [[ -n "$TMUX" ]]; then
+    if [ -n "$TMUX" ]; then
         echo "'tmux split-window -h'"
     else
         echo "'urxvt -e sh -c'"
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ decl str termcmd %sh{
 
 def new -docstring 'create a new kak client for current session' \
         -shell-params %{ nop %sh{
-    if (( $# != 0 )); then kakoune_params="-e '$@'"; fi
-    setsid ${kak_opt_termcmd} "kak -c ${kak_session} ${kakoune_params}" < /dev/null >& /dev/null &
+    if [ $# -ne 0 ]; then kakoune_params="-e '$@'"; fi
+    setsid ${kak_opt_termcmd} "kak -c ${kak_session} ${kakoune_params}" < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 &
 }}
diff --git a/rc/cpp.kak b/rc/cpp.kak
index 1edb9b6cb..4a1545769 100644
--- a/rc/cpp.kak
+++ b/rc/cpp.kak
@@ -75,26 +75,32 @@ hook global BufNew .*\.(h|hh|hpp|hxx|H) _cpp_insert_include_guards
 decl str-list alt_dirs ".;.."
 
 def alt -docstring "Jump to the alternate file (header/implementation)" %{ %sh{
-    shopt -s extglob
-    alt_dirs=${kak_opt_alt_dirs//;/ }
+    alt_dirs=$(echo ${kak_opt_alt_dirs} | sed -e 's/;/ /g')
     file=$(basename ${kak_buffile})
     dir=$(dirname ${kak_buffile})
 
     case ${file} in
          *.c|*.cc|*.cpp|*.cxx|*.C)
              for alt_dir in ${alt_dirs}; do
-                 altname=$(ls -1 "${dir}/${alt_dir}/${file%.*}".@(h|hh|hpp|hxx|H) 2> /dev/null | head -n 1)
-                 [[ -e ${altname} ]] && break
+                 for ext in h hh hpp hxx H; do
+                     altname="${dir}/${alt_dir}/${file%.*}.${ext}"
+                     [ -f ${altname} ] && break
+                 done
+                 [ -f ${altname} ] && break
              done
          ;;
          *.h|*.hh|*.hpp|*.hxx|*.H)
              for alt_dir in ${alt_dirs}; do
-                 altname=$(ls -1 "${dir}/${alt_dir}/${file%.*}".@(c|cc|cpp|cxx|C) 2> /dev/null | head -n 1)
-                 [[ -e ${altname} ]] && break
+                 for ext in c cc cpp cxx C; do
+                     altname="${dir}/${alt_dir}/${file%.*}.${ext}"
+                     [ -f ${altname} ] && break
+                 done
+                 [ -f ${altname} ] && break
              done
          ;;
     esac
-    if [[ -e ${altname} ]]; then
+    echo debug ${altname}
+    if [ -f ${altname} ]; then
        echo edit "'${altname}'"
     else
        echo echo "'alternative file not found'"
diff --git a/rc/ctags.kak b/rc/ctags.kak
index b68c7a48a..96a50322b 100644
--- a/rc/ctags.kak
+++ b/rc/ctags.kak
@@ -8,20 +8,20 @@ def -shell-params \
     -docstring 'jump to tag definition' \
     tag \
     %{ %sh{
-        if [[ -z "$1" ]]; then tagname=${kak_selection}; else tagname=$1; fi
+        if [ -z "$1" ]; then tagname=${kak_selection}; else tagname="$1"; fi
         matches=$(readtags ${tagname})
-        if [[ -z "${matches}" ]]; then
+        if [ -z "${matches}" ]; then
             echo "echo tag not found ${tagname}"
         else
             menuparam=$(readtags ${tagname} | perl -i -ne '
                 /([^\t]+)\t([^\t]+)\t\/\^([^{}]*).*\$\// and print "%{$2 [$3]} %{try %{ edit %{$2}; exec %{/\\Q$3<ret>vc} } catch %{ echo %{unable to find tag} } } ";
                 /([^\t]+)\t([^\t]+)\t(\d+)/              and print "%{$2:$3} %{edit %{$2} %{$3}}";
-            ')
+            ' | sed -e 's/\n/ /g')
 
-            if [[ -z "${menuparam}" ]]; then
+            if [ -z "${menuparam}" ]; then
                 echo "echo no such tag ${tagname}";
             else
-                echo "menu -auto-single ${menuparam//$'\n'/ }";
+                echo "menu -auto-single ${menuparam}";
             fi
         fi
     }}
@@ -29,12 +29,10 @@ def -shell-params \
 def tag-complete %{ eval -draft %{
     exec <space>hb<a-k>^\w+$<ret>
     %sh{ (
-        compl=$(readtags -p "$kak_selection" | cut -f 1 | sort | uniq)
-        compl=${compl//:/\\:}
-        compl=${compl//$'\n'/:}
+        compl=$(readtags -p "$kak_selection" | cut -f 1 | sort | uniq | sed -e 's/:/\\:/g' | sed -e 's/\n/:/g' )
         compl="${kak_cursor_line}.${kak_cursor_column}+${#kak_selection}@${kak_timestamp}:${compl}"
         echo "set buffer=$kak_bufname completions '${compl}'" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-    ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null & }
+    ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null & }
 }}
 
 def funcinfo %{
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ def funcinfo %{
         exec [(<space>B<a-k>[a-zA-Z_]+\(<ret>
         %sh{
             sigs=$(readtags -e ${kak_selection%(} | grep kind:f | sed -re 's/^(\S+).*(class|struct|namespace):(\S+).*signature:(.*)$/\4 [\3::\1]/')
-            if [[ -n "$sigs" ]]; then
+            if [ -n "$sigs" ]; then
                 echo "eval -client ${kak_client} %{info -anchor right '$sigs'}"
             fi
         }
@@ -70,5 +68,5 @@ def gentags -docstring 'generate tag file asynchronously' %{
             msg="tags generation failed"
         fi
         echo "eval -client $kak_client echo -color Information '${msg}'" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-    ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null & }
+    ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null & }
 }
diff --git a/rc/git-tools.kak b/rc/git-tools.kak
index 71cd410c5..bcf6b016e 100644
--- a/rc/git-tools.kak
+++ b/rc/git-tools.kak
@@ -22,14 +22,14 @@ def -shell-params git %{ %sh{
         esac
         tmpfile=$(mktemp /tmp/kak-git-XXXXXX)
         if git "$@" > ${tmpfile}; then
-            [[ -n "$kak_opt_docsclient" ]] && echo "eval -client '$kak_opt_docsclient' %{"
+            [ -n "$kak_opt_docsclient" ] && echo "eval -client '$kak_opt_docsclient' %{"
 
             echo "edit! -scratch *git*
                   exec |cat<space>${tmpfile}<ret>gk
                   nop %sh{rm ${tmpfile}}
                   set buffer filetype '${filetype}'"
 
-            [[ -n "$kak_opt_docsclient" ]] && echo "}"
+            [ -n "$kak_opt_docsclient" ] && echo "}"
         else
            echo "echo %{git $@ failed, see *debug* buffer}"
            rm ${tmpfile}
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def -shell-params git %{ %sh{
             declare -A authors
             declare -A dates
             send_flags() {
-                if [[ -z "$line" ]]; then return; fi
+                if [ -z "$line" ]; then return; fi
                 text=$(echo "${sha:0:8} ${dates[$sha]} ${authors[$sha]}" | sed -e 's/:/\\:/g')
                 flag="$line|black|$text"
                 for (( i=1; $i < $count; i++ )); do
diff --git a/rc/grep.kak b/rc/grep.kak
index 58dbedb25..7f7cbe102 100644
--- a/rc/grep.kak
+++ b/rc/grep.kak
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ def -shell-params -file-completion \
     grep %{ %sh{
      output=$(mktemp -d -t kak-grep.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
-     if (( $# > 0 )); then
-         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+     if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
+         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
      else
-         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
      fi
 
      echo "eval -try-client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{
diff --git a/rc/make.kak b/rc/make.kak
index 09f5591be..963d0521b 100644
--- a/rc/make.kak
+++ b/rc/make.kak
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ decl str toolsclient
 def -shell-params make %{ %sh{
      output=$(mktemp -d -t kak-make.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
-     ( eval ${kak_opt_makecmd} $@ >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+     ( eval ${kak_opt_makecmd} "$@" > ${output} 2>&1 ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
 
      echo "eval -try-client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{
                edit! -fifo ${output} *make*
diff --git a/rc/man.kak b/rc/man.kak
index 9b9351e30..401f87d8a 100644
--- a/rc/man.kak
+++ b/rc/man.kak
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ hook global WinSetOption filetype=(?!man).* %{
 
 def -hidden -shell-params _man %{ %sh{
     tmpfile=$(mktemp /tmp/kak-man-XXXXXX)
-    MANWIDTH=${kak_window_width} man "$@" | col -b > ${tmpfile}
-    if (( ${PIPESTATUS[0]} == 0 )); then
+    output=$(MANWIDTH=${kak_window_width} man "$@")
+    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+        echo "${output}" | col -b > ${tmpfile}
         echo "edit! -scratch '*man*'
               exec |cat<space>${tmpfile}<ret>gk
               nop %sh{rm ${tmpfile}}
@@ -29,6 +30,6 @@ def -hidden -shell-params _man %{ %sh{
 } }
 
 def -shell-params man %{ %sh{
-    [[ -z "$@" ]] && set -- "$kak_selection"
+    [ -z "$@" ] && set -- "$kak_selection"
     echo "eval -try-client %opt{docsclient} _man $@"
 } }