diff --git a/ell.sh b/ell.sh
index 972d2a7..390ee68 100755
--- a/ell.sh
+++ b/ell.sh
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ parse_arguments "${@}";
 if [ "x${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE}" != "x-" ]; then
   if [ "${ELL_RECORD}" != "xtrue" ] && [ "${ELL_INTERACTIVE}" != "xtrue" ]; then
     logging_debug "Outputting to file: ${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE}";
-    exec 1>${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE};
+    exec 1>"${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE}";
   fi
 fi
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ if [ "x${ELL_RECORD}" = "xtrue" ] || [ "x${ELL_INTERACTIVE}" = "xtrue" ] && [ "x
   if [ "x${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE}" != "x-" ]; then
     export ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG="${ELL_OUTPUT_FILE}";
   else
-    export ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG=$(mktemp);
+    export ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG="$(mktemp)";
   fi
   export ELL_RECORD=true;
   logging_info "Session being recorded to ${ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG}";
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ if [ -n "${ELL_INPUT_FILE}" ]; then
     exit 1;
   else
     logging_debug "Reading input from file: ${ELL_INPUT_FILE}, overriding USER_PROMPT";
-    USER_PROMPT=$(sed  -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g' ${ELL_INPUT_FILE} | awk '{printf "%s\\n", $0}');
+    USER_PROMPT=$(sed  -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g' "${ELL_INPUT_FILE}" | awk '{printf "%s\\n", $0}');
   fi
 fi
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ if [ "x${ELL_INTERACTIVE}" = "xtrue" ]; then
     if [ -z "${ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG}" ]; then
       logging_debug "ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG not set";
     else
-      SHELL_CONTEXT="$(tail -c 3000 "${ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG}" | ${BASE_DIR}/helpers/render_to_text.perl | sed  -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g'| awk '{printf "%s\\n", $0}')";
+      export SHELL_CONTEXT="$(tail -c 3000 "${ELL_TMP_SHELL_LOG}" | "${BASE_DIR}/helpers/render_to_text.perl" | sed  -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g'| awk '{printf "%s\\n", $0}')";
     fi
     PAYLOAD="$(eval "cat <<EOF
 $(<"${ELL_TEMPLATE_PATH}${ELL_TEMPLATE}.json")
diff --git a/helpers/parse_arguments.sh b/helpers/parse_arguments.sh
index 26f0658..4ba9699 100644
--- a/helpers/parse_arguments.sh
+++ b/helpers/parse_arguments.sh
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function parse_arguments() {
           key="${option_array[0]}";
           value="${option_array[1]}";
           logging_debug "Setting ${key} to ${value}";
-          eval "${key}=${value}";
+          eval "export ${key}=${value}";
         done
         shift 2;
         ;;
diff --git a/helpers/piping.sh b/helpers/piping.sh
index e566693..ed9c6ef 100755
--- a/helpers/piping.sh
+++ b/helpers/piping.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# this function pipe an array of commands together
-# e.g. piping "cat" "grep -v 'foo'" "sort"
+# this function pipes an array of commands together
+# e.g. `piping "cat" "grep -v 'foo'" "sort"`
 
 piping() {
   if [ ${#} -eq 0 ] || [ "${1}" = '' ]; then
diff --git a/plugins/paginator/90_pre_output.sh b/plugins/paginator/90_pre_output.sh
index c054018..c94b409 100755
--- a/plugins/paginator/90_pre_output.sh
+++ b/plugins/paginator/90_pre_output.sh
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 get_current_column() {
   # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2575037/how-to-get-the-cursor-position-in-bash
-  exec < /dev/tty
-  oldstty="$(stty -g)"
-  stty raw -echo min 0
-  echo -ne "\e[6n" > /dev/tty
+  exec < /dev/tty;
+  oldstty="$(stty -g)";
+  stty raw -echo min 0;
+  echo -ne "\e[6n" > /dev/tty;
   # tput u7 > /dev/tty    # when TERM=xterm (and relatives)
-  IFS=';' read -r -d R -a pos
-  stty "${oldstty}"
-  echo "$((pos[1] - 1))"
+  IFS=';' read -r -d R -a pos;
+  stty "${oldstty}";
+  echo "$((pos[1] - 1))";
 }
 
 if [ "x${TO_TTY}" = "xtrue" ]; then
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ if [ "x${TO_TTY}" = "xtrue" ]; then
     fi
   done
 else
-  logging_debug "Not a terminal";
+  # logging_debug "Not a terminal";
   cat -;
 fi