diff --git a/sys/user.sh b/sys/user.sh
index b7e7607798..bb94adbdc8 100755
--- a/sys/user.sh
+++ b/sys/user.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ gmake --help >/dev/null 2>&1
 [ $? = 0 ] && MAKE=gmake
 
 # find root
-cd `dirname $PWD/$0` ; cd ..
+cd "$(dirname "$PWD/$0")" ; cd ..
 
 # update
 if [ "$1" != "--without-pull" ]; then
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ fi
 ROOT=${HOME}/.radare2-prefix
 
 if [ "${HARDEN}" = 1 ]; then
-	./sys/build-harden.sh ${ROOT} && ${MAKE} symstall
+	./sys/build-harden.sh "${ROOT}" && ${MAKE} symstall
 else
-	./sys/build.sh ${ROOT} && ${MAKE} symstall
+	./sys/build.sh "${ROOT}" && ${MAKE} symstall
 fi
 ${MAKE} user-install
 echo
 echo radare2 is now installed in ~/.radare2-prefix
 echo
-echo Now add ${HOME}/bin to your ${PATH}
+echo "Now add ${HOME}/bin to your ${PATH}"
 echo
diff --git a/sys/vala.sh b/sys/vala.sh
index 06b3122bcf..785596d7e7 100755
--- a/sys/vala.sh
+++ b/sys/vala.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 [ -z "${PREFIX}" ] && PREFIX=/usr
 
 # find root
-cd `dirname $PWD/$0`
+cd "$(dirname "$PWD/$0")"
 . ./CONFIG
 
 mkdir -p _work
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ if [ ! $? = 0 ]; then
 	VV=0.13.4
 	SV=$(echo ${VV}|cut -d . -f 1,2)
 	if [ ! -d vala-${VV} ]; then
-		wget http://download.gnome.org/sources/vala/${SV}/vala-${VV}.tar.bz2
+		wget "http://download.gnome.org/sources/vala/${SV}/vala-${VV}.tar.bz2"
 		tar xjvf vala-${VV}.tar.bz2
 	fi
-	cd vala-${VV}
+	cd vala-${VV} || exit 1
 	./configure --prefix=/usr && \
 	make && \
 	sudo make install
diff --git a/sys/valabind.sh b/sys/valabind.sh
index d8325abd6e..8152d33f86 100755
--- a/sys/valabind.sh
+++ b/sys/valabind.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 [ -z "${PREFIX}" ] && PREFIX=/usr
 
 # find root
-cd `dirname $PWD/$0`
+cd "$(dirname "$PWD/$0")"
 . ./CONFIG
 
 mkdir  _work