diff --git a/tests/00-setup b/tests/00-setup
index 9e76997..812fe8d 100755
--- a/tests/00-setup
+++ b/tests/00-setup
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 
 jtest_prepare "create a test skeleton in temporary directory"
 
diff --git a/tests/01-cqfd_init b/tests/01-cqfd_init
index 0030c09..a9dc3ba 100755
--- a/tests/01-cqfd_init
+++ b/tests/01-cqfd_init
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 
 cd $TDIR/
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ fi
 ################################################################################
 # 'cqfd init' with a nonexistent Dockerfile should fail
 ################################################################################
-cqfdrc_old=`mktemp`
+cqfdrc_old=$(mktemp)
 jtest_prepare "init with a nonexisting dockerfile shall fail"
 cp -f .cqfdrc $cqfdrc_old
 sed -i -e "s/\[build\]/[build]\ndistro='thisshouldfail'/" .cqfdrc
diff --git a/tests/03-cqfd_error b/tests/03-cqfd_error
index ae85480..f57307d 100755
--- a/tests/03-cqfd_error
+++ b/tests/03-cqfd_error
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 
 ################################################################################
 # Running cqfd with an unknown argument shall fail
diff --git a/tests/03-cqfd_help b/tests/03-cqfd_help
index f7467e7..f322e24 100755
--- a/tests/03-cqfd_help
+++ b/tests/03-cqfd_help
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 
 ################################################################################
 # 'cqfd help' shall be an accepted command
 ################################################################################
 jtest_prepare "cqfd help shall exit normally"
-TEST=`mktemp`
+TEST=$(mktemp)
 
 if ! $TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd help >$TEST; then
 	jtest_result fail
diff --git a/tests/03-cqfd_version b/tests/03-cqfd_version
index 67d692a..585ae0b 100755
--- a/tests/03-cqfd_version
+++ b/tests/03-cqfd_version
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 
 ################################################################################
 # 'cqfd version' shall be an accepted command
 ################################################################################
 jtest_prepare "cqfd version shall exit normally"
-TEST=`mktemp`
+TEST=$(mktemp)
 
 if ! $TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd version >$TEST; then
 	jtest_result fail
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_init_alt_ext b/tests/05-cqfd_init_alt_ext
index 793c2eb..d1f833c 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_init_alt_ext
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_init_alt_ext
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cd $TDIR/
 
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_init_flavor b/tests/05-cqfd_init_flavor
index 9313229..73cfbe9 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_init_flavor
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_init_flavor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 flavor="foo"
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ cd $TDIR/
 ################################################################################
 # 'cqfd init' with different flavor makes a different container
 ################################################################################
-cqfdrc_old=`mktemp`
+cqfdrc_old=$(mktemp)
 cp -f .cqfdrc $cqfdrc_old
 sed -i -e "s/\[foo\]/[foo]\ndistro='centos'/" .cqfdrc
 
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run b/tests/05-cqfd_run
index 006942d..9c488ba 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 test_file="a/cqfd_a.txt"
 
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_c b/tests/05-cqfd_run_c
index 35c779f..5717e41 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_c
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 test_file="a/cqfd_a.txt"
 test_run_c_file="test_run_c.txt"
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_c_flavor b/tests/05-cqfd_run_c_flavor
index e5ccdd2..14d147c 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_c_flavor
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_c_flavor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 flavor="foo"
 test_file=$flavor
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_command b/tests/05-cqfd_run_command
index a962ac2..182dd6f 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_command
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_command
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 test_file="file.$RANDOM"
 
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_config b/tests/05-cqfd_run_config
index 501d15c..880dd65 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_config
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_config
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 confdir=$TDIR/.config/dir
 flavor="foo"
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_env b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_env
index dcebaf5..6c5a579 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_env
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_env
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 cd $TDIR/
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_groups b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_groups
index ebeb5d2..c803414 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_groups
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_groups
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 cd $TDIR/
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_hosts b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_hosts
index 0c29cf1..3564025 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_hosts
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_extra_hosts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 getent_cmd="getent hosts 1.2.3.4"
 
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_flavor b/tests/05-cqfd_run_flavor
index 5685e14..12178cf 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_flavor
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_flavor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 flavor="foo"
 
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_home_env_var b/tests/05-cqfd_run_home_env_var
index fd8506a..01e0893 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_home_env_var
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_home_env_var
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 cd $TDIR/
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_spaces_in_path b/tests/05-cqfd_run_spaces_in_path
index 1f4b808..bb85ed7 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_spaces_in_path
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_spaces_in_path
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 cd $TDIR/
diff --git a/tests/05-cqfd_run_tty b/tests/05-cqfd_run_tty
index b002e31..ae08dcd 100755
--- a/tests/05-cqfd_run_tty
+++ b/tests/05-cqfd_run_tty
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # This test ensures cqfd works when not invoked from a tty (this is the case
 # when running from a CI system for example).
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/tests/06-cqfd_release b/tests/06-cqfd_release
index 191e922..c3a1cbf 100755
--- a/tests/06-cqfd_release
+++ b/tests/06-cqfd_release
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-. `dirname $0`/jtest.inc "$1"
+. "$(dirname $0)"/jtest.inc "$1"
 cqfd="$TDIR/.cqfd/cqfd"
 
 cd $TDIR/
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ rm -rf "${tmp_dir}"
 jtest_prepare "build.archive can template filenames"
 
 export CTEST=foobar
-d3=`date --rfc-3339='date'`
+d3=$(date --rfc-3339='date')
 echo 'archive=cqfd-%D3-$CTEST.tar.xz' >> .cqfdrc
 
 # Generate the release archive
diff --git a/tests/jtest.inc b/tests/jtest.inc
index 437c46b..794eb60 100644
--- a/tests/jtest.inc
+++ b/tests/jtest.inc
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ jtest_log()
 		;;
 	esac
 
-	echo -e "\e[${color}m[`date +%T`|$level] $@\e[0m"
+	echo -e "\e[${color}m[$(date +%T)|$level] $@\e[0m"
 }
 
 # jtest_prepare() - prepare next test