diff --git a/completion/available/gradle.completion.bash b/completion/available/gradle.completion.bash
index 2b33383f..6ec8c697 100644
--- a/completion/available/gradle.completion.bash
+++ b/completion/available/gradle.completion.bash
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 COMP_WORDBREAKS=$(echo "$COMP_WORDBREAKS" | sed -e 's/://g')
 
 __gradle-set-project-root-dir() {
-    local dir=`pwd`
-    project_root_dir=`pwd`
+    local dir="${PWD}"
+    project_root_dir="${PWD}"
     while [[ $dir != '/' ]]; do
         if [[ -f "$dir/settings.gradle" || -f "$dir/gradlew" ]]; then
             project_root_dir=$dir
diff --git a/completion/available/hub.completion.bash b/completion/available/hub.completion.bash
index 79d76bf0..74c530a8 100644
--- a/completion/available/hub.completion.bash
+++ b/completion/available/hub.completion.bash
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ EOF
       ((c++))
     done
     if [ -z "$name" ]; then
-      repo=$(basename "$(pwd)")
+      repo="$(basename "${PWD}")"
     fi
     case "$prev" in
       -d|-h)
diff --git a/lib/helpers.bash b/lib/helpers.bash
index 9b95fe65..61705a04 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.bash
+++ b/lib/helpers.bash
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ _bash-it-restart() {
   _about 'restarts the shell in order to fully reload it'
   _group 'lib'
 
-  saved_pwd=$(pwd)
+  saved_pwd="${PWD}"
 
   case $OSTYPE in
     darwin*)
diff --git a/plugins/available/dirs.plugin.bash b/plugins/available/dirs.plugin.bash
index c215f7ec..2c1adf7a 100644
--- a/plugins/available/dirs.plugin.bash
+++ b/plugins/available/dirs.plugin.bash
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ alias 8="pushd +8"
 alias 9="pushd +9"
 
 # Clone this location
-alias pc="pushd \$(pwd)"
+alias pc='pushd "${PWD}"'
 
 # Push new location
 alias pu="pushd"
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ G () {
     example '$ G ..'
     group 'dirs'
 
-    cd "${1:-$(pwd)}" ;
+    cd "${1:-${PWD}}" ;
 }
 
 S () {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ S () {
 
     sed "/$@/d" ~/.dirs > ~/.dirs1;
     \mv ~/.dirs1 ~/.dirs;
-    echo "$@"=\"`pwd`\" >> ~/.dirs;
+    echo "$@"=\""${PWD}"\" >> ~/.dirs;
     source ~/.dirs ;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats b/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
index 7daf2619..1def481e 100755
--- a/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
+++ b/test/plugins/base.plugin.bats
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ load ../../plugins/available/base.plugin
   mkcd "${dir_name}"
   assert_success
   assert_dir_exist "${BASH_IT_ROOT}/${dir_name}"
-  assert_equal $(pwd) "${BASH_IT_ROOT}/${dir_name}"
+  assert_equal "${PWD}" "${BASH_IT_ROOT}/${dir_name}"
 }
 
 @test 'plugins base: lsgrep()' {
diff --git a/test/run b/test/run
index 88202916..fe4ac847 100755
--- a/test/run
+++ b/test/run
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ git submodule init && git submodule update
 
 if [ -z "${BASH_IT}" ]; then
   declare BASH_IT
-  BASH_IT=$(cd ${test_directory} && dirname "$(pwd)")
+  BASH_IT="$(cd "${test_directory}" && dirname "${PWD}")"
   export BASH_IT
 fi
 
diff --git a/themes/powerturk/powerturk.theme.bash b/themes/powerturk/powerturk.theme.bash
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 4590a8aa..3352f680
--- a/themes/powerturk/powerturk.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/powerturk/powerturk.theme.bash
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ _swd(){
     begin="" # The unshortened beginning of the path.
     shortbegin="" # The shortened beginning of the path.
     current="" # The section of the path we're currently working on.
-    end="${2:-$(pwd)}/" # The unmodified rest of the path.
+    end="${2:-${PWD}}/" # The unmodified rest of the path.
 
     if [[ "$end" =~ "$HOME" ]]; then
         INHOME=1