diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index eccfa86..03068b0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -55,13 +55,13 @@ install: spmenu
 	cp docs/example.Xresources example.Xresources.orig && sed -i "s/VERSION/$(VERSION)/g" docs/example.Xresources
 	cp -r docs/* $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/
 	mv example.Xresources.orig docs/example.Xresources
-	echo "${VERSION}" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/version
-	echo "${CC}" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/cc
-	echo "${CFLAGS}" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/cflags
+	echo "$(VERSION)" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/version
+	echo "$(CC)" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/cc
+	echo "$(CFLAGS)" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/cflags
 	echo "$$(date "+%D %T")" > $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/spmenu/compile-date
 	cp -r spmenu scripts/spmenu* $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin
-	[ -f spmenu.1 ] && mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}${MANPREFIX}/man1 || :
-	[ -f spmenu.1 ] && cp spmenu.1 ${DESTDIR}${MANPREFIX}/man1/spmenu.1 || :
+	[ -f spmenu.1 ] && mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1 || :
+	[ -f spmenu.1 ] && cp spmenu.1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1/spmenu.1 || :
 	chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin/spmenu*
 	rm -f *.o
 	rm -f spmenu
diff --git a/host.mk b/host.mk
index 5176536..c2f1632 100644
--- a/host.mk
+++ b/host.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ OPT          = -O2
 
 # paths
 PREFIX       = /usr
-MANPREFIX 	 = ${PREFIX}/share/man
+MANPREFIX 	 = $(PREFIX)/share/man
 INCDIR       = /usr/include
 
 # library paths
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ X11LIB       = /usr/X11R6/lib
 
 # freetype
 FREETYPELIBS = -lfontconfig -lXft
-FREETYPEINC  = ${INCDIR}/freetype2
+FREETYPEINC  = $(INCDIR)/freetype2
 
 # xft
 XFTCONF      = xft