diff --git a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart.sh b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart.sh
index a27fa81..5813e93 100644
--- a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart.sh
+++ b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ kickstart.context() {
 
 kickstart.mute() {
   kickstart.info "Running \"$@\""
-  `$@ >/dev/null 2>&1`
+  `"$@" >/dev/null 2>&1`
   return $?
 }
 
diff --git a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/apt.sh b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/apt.sh
index 1e68e5f..c5e2289 100644
--- a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/apt.sh
+++ b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/apt.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 kickstart.apt.ppa() {
-  kickstart.mute "add-apt-repository -y $1"
+  kickstart.mute add-apt-repository -y $1
   kickstart.package.update
 }
 
 kickstart.apt.add_key_from_url() {
-  kickstart.download.stream $1 | kickstart.mute 'apt-key add -'
+  kickstart.download.stream $1 | kickstart.mute apt-key add -
 }
 
 kickstart.apt.add_key_from_keychain() {
-  kickstart.mute "apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv $1"
+  kickstart.mute apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv $1
 }
diff --git a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/package.sh b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/package.sh
index 5cc79c1..e02c210 100644
--- a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/package.sh
+++ b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/package.sh
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ kickstart.package.install() {
     kickstart.info "$@ already installed"
   else
     kickstart.info "No packages found matching $@. Installing..."
-    kickstart.mute "`kickstart.package.manager` install -y $@"
+    kickstart.mute `kickstart.package.manager` install -y "$@"
   fi
 }
 
 kickstart.package.update() {
-  kickstart.mute "`kickstart.package.manager` update -y"
+  kickstart.mute `kickstart.package.manager` update -y
 }
 
 kickstart.package.upgrade() {
-  kickstart.mute "`kickstart.package.manager` upgrade -y"
+  kickstart.mute `kickstart.package.manager` upgrade -y
 }
diff --git a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/user.sh b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/user.sh
index d6564e7..ef5fe2d 100644
--- a/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/user.sh
+++ b/kickstart/recipes/kickstart/user.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 kickstart.user.create() {
-  kickstart.mute "id $1" || ( useradd -m -s /bin/bash -U -p `openssl passwd -1 $2` $1 )
+  kickstart.mute id $1 || ( useradd -m -s /bin/bash -U -p `openssl passwd -1 $2` $1 )
 }
 
 kickstart.user.is_on_group() {