diff --git a/scripts/helpers.sh b/scripts/helpers.sh
index 7250af9..815acd6 100644
--- a/scripts/helpers.sh
+++ b/scripts/helpers.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 get_tmux_option() {
 	local option="$1"
 	local default_value="$2"
-	local option_value=$(tmux show-option -gqv "$option")
+	local option_value="$(tmux show-option -gqv "$option")"
 	if [ -z "$option_value" ]; then
 		echo "$default_value"
 	else
diff --git a/scripts/install_plugins.sh b/scripts/install_plugins.sh
index f853147..5056f07 100755
--- a/scripts/install_plugins.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_plugins.sh
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ install_plugin() {
 }
 
 install_plugins() {
-	local plugins=$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)
+	local plugins="$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)"
 	for plugin in $plugins; do
 		install_plugin "$plugin"
 	done
diff --git a/scripts/shared_functions.sh b/scripts/shared_functions.sh
index 8621ca5..3c6c06f 100644
--- a/scripts/shared_functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/shared_functions.sh
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ shared_plugin_name() {
 
 shared_plugin_path() {
 	local plugin=$1
-	local plugin_name=$(shared_plugin_name "$plugin")
-	echo "$SHARED_TPM_PATH$plugin_name/"
+	local plugin_name="$(shared_plugin_name "$plugin")"
+	echo "${SHARED_TPM_PATH}${plugin_name}/"
 }
 
 # TMUX messaging is weird. You only get a nice clean pane if you do it with
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ display_message() {
 	fi
 
 	# saves user-set 'display-time' option
-	local saved_display_time=$(get_tmux_option "display-time" "750")
+	local saved_display_time="$(get_tmux_option "display-time" "750")"
 
 	# sets message display time to 5 seconds
 	tmux set-option -gq display-time "$display_duration"
diff --git a/scripts/source_plugins.sh b/scripts/source_plugins.sh
index 0cb2286..2ad9845 100755
--- a/scripts/source_plugins.sh
+++ b/scripts/source_plugins.sh
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ silently_source_all_tmux_files() {
 
 source_plugin() {
 	local plugin=$1
-	local plugin_path=$(shared_plugin_path "$plugin")
+	local plugin_path="$(shared_plugin_path "$plugin")"
 	silently_source_all_tmux_files "$plugin_path"
 }
 
 source_plugins() {
-	local plugins=$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)
+	local plugins="$(shared_get_tpm_plugins_list)"
 	for plugin in $plugins; do
 		source_plugin "$plugin"
 	done