diff --git a/clean_files.txt b/clean_files.txt
index d810bb73..84c904d8 100644
--- a/clean_files.txt
+++ b/clean_files.txt
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ themes/brunton
 themes/candy
 themes/command_duration.theme.bash
 themes/easy
+themes/essential
 themes/modern
 themes/powerline
 themes/pure
diff --git a/themes/essential/essential.theme.bash b/themes/essential/essential.theme.bash
index ae988733..05e84314 100644
--- a/themes/essential/essential.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/essential/essential.theme.bash
@@ -1,96 +1,93 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-# https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck/wiki/Sc2154
-# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+# shellcheck shell=bash
 
 function _user-prompt() {
-  local -r user='\\u'
+	local -r user='\u'
 
-  if [[ "${EUID}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    # Privileged users:
-    local -r user_color="${bold_red}"
-  else
-    # Standard users:
-    local -r user_color="${bold_green}"
-  fi
+	if [[ "${EUID}" -eq 0 ]]; then
+		# Privileged users:
+		local -r user_color="${bold_red?}"
+	else
+		# Standard users:
+		local -r user_color="${bold_green?}"
+	fi
 
-  # Print the current user's name (colored according to their current EUID):
-  echo -e "${user_color}${user}${normal}"
+	# Print the current user's name (colored according to their current EUID):
+	printf '%b%s%b' "${user_color}" "${user}" "${normal?}"
 }
 
 function _host-prompt() {
-  local -r host='\\h'
+	local -r host='\h'
 
-  # Check whether or not $SSH_TTY is set:
-  if [[ -z "${SSH_TTY}" ]]; then
-    # For local hosts, set the host's prompt color to blue:
-    local -r host_color="${bold_blue}"
-  else
-    # For remote hosts, set the host's prompt color to red:
-    local -r host_color="${bold_red}"
-  fi
+	# Check whether or not $SSH_TTY is set:
+	if [[ -z "${SSH_TTY:-}" ]]; then
+		# For local hosts, set the host's prompt color to blue:
+		local -r host_color="${bold_blue?}"
+	else
+		# For remote hosts, set the host's prompt color to red:
+		local -r host_color="${bold_red?}"
+	fi
 
-  # Print the current hostname (colored according to $SSH_TTY's status):
-  echo -e "${host_color}${host}${normal}"
+	# Print the current hostname (colored according to $SSH_TTY's status):
+	printf '%b%s%b' "${host_color}" "${host}" "${normal?}"
 }
 
 function _user-at-host-prompt() {
-  # Concatenate the user and host prompts into: user@host:
-  echo -e "$(_user-prompt)${bold_white}@$(_host-prompt)"
+	# Concatenate the user and host prompts into: user@host:
+	_user-prompt
+	printf '%b@' "${bold_white?}"
+	_host-prompt
 }
 
 function _exit-status-prompt() {
-  local -r prompt_string="${1}"
-  local -r exit_status="${2}"
+	local -r prompt_string="${1}"
+	local -r exit_status="${2}"
 
-  # Check the exit status of the last command captured by $exit_status:
-  if [[ "${exit_status}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    # For commands that return an exit status of zero, set the exit status's
-    # notifier to green:
-    local -r exit_status_color="${bold_green}"
-  else
-    # For commands that return a non-zero exit status, set the exit status's
-    # notifier to red:
-    local -r exit_status_color="${bold_red}"
-  fi
+	# Check the exit status of the last command captured by $exit_status:
+	if [[ "${exit_status}" -eq 0 ]]; then
+		# For commands that return an exit status of zero, set the exit status's
+		# notifier to green:
+		local -r exit_status_color="${bold_green?}"
+	else
+		# For commands that return a non-zero exit status, set the exit status's
+		# notifier to red:
+		local -r exit_status_color="${bold_red?}"
+	fi
 
-  echo -ne "${exit_status_color}"
-  if [[ "${prompt_string}" -eq 1 ]]; then
-    # $PS1:
-    echo -e " +${normal} "
-  elif [[ "${prompt_string}" -eq 2 ]]; then
-    # $PS2:
-    echo -e " |${normal} "
-  else
-    # Default:
-    echo -e " ?${normal} "
-  fi
+	if [[ "${prompt_string}" -eq 1 ]]; then
+		# $PS1:
+		printf '%b +%b' "${exit_status_color}" "${normal?} "
+	elif [[ "${prompt_string}" -eq 2 ]]; then
+		# $PS2:
+		printf '%b |%b' "${exit_status_color}" "${normal?} "
+	else
+		# Default:
+		printf '%b ?%b' "${exit_status_color}" "${normal?} "
+	fi
 }
 
 function _ps1() {
-  local -r time='\\t'
+	local -r time='\t'
+	local -r pwd='\w'
 
-  echo -ne "${bold_white}${time} "
-  echo -ne "$(_user-at-host-prompt)"
-  echo -e "${bold_white}:${normal}${PWD}"
-  echo -e "$(_exit-status-prompt 1 "${exit_status}")"
+	printf '%b%s ' "${bold_white?}" "${time}"
+	_user-at-host-prompt
+	printf '%b:%b%s\n' "${bold_white?}" "${normal?}" "${pwd}"
+	_exit-status-prompt 1 "${exit_status}"
 }
 
 function _ps2() {
-  echo -e "$(_exit-status-prompt 2 "${exit_status}")"
+	_exit-status-prompt 2 "${exit_status}"
 }
 
 function prompt_command() {
-  # Capture the exit status of the last command:
-  local -r exit_status="${?}"
+	# Capture the exit status of the last command:
+	local -r exit_status="${?}"
 
-  # Build the $PS1 prompt:
-  PS1="$(_ps1)"
+	# Build the $PS1 prompt:
+	PS1="$(_ps1)"
 
-  # Build the $PS2 prompt:
-  PS2="$(_ps2)"
+	# Build the $PS2 prompt:
+	PS2="$(_ps2)"
 }
 
 safe_append_prompt_command prompt_command
-
-# vim: sw=2 ts=2 et: