diff --git a/rc/tools/clang.kak b/rc/tools/clang.kak
index fc8f5052..e0f90299 100644
--- a/rc/tools/clang.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/clang.kak
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ The syntaxic errors detected during parsing are shown when auto-diagnostics are
         # not hang while clang is running. As completions references a cursor
         # position and a buffer timestamp, only valid completions should be
         # displayed.
-        {{
+        {(
             case ${kak_opt_filetype} in
                 c) ft=c ;;
                 cpp) ft=c++ ;;
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ The syntaxic errors detected during parsing are shown when auto-diagnostics are
 
             printf %s\\n "set-option 'buffer=${kak_buffile}' clang_flags ${kak_timestamp} ${flags}
                   set-option 'buffer=${kak_buffile}' clang_errors ${kak_timestamp} ${errors}" | kak -p ${kak_session}
-        } & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
+        ) & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/rc/tools/git.kak b/rc/tools/git.kak
index c2434819..47e3d59a 100644
--- a/rc/tools/git.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/git.kak
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Available commands:\n  add\n  rm\n  blame\n  commit\n  checkout\n  diff\n  hide-
         esac
         output=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}"/kak-git.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
         mkfifo ${output}
-        { git "$@" > ${output} 2>&1 & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
+        ( git "$@" > ${output} 2>&1 & ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
 
         printf %s "evaluate-commands -try-client '$kak_opt_docsclient' %{
                   edit! -fifo ${output} *git*
diff --git a/rc/tools/grep.kak b/rc/tools/grep.kak
index 1e105b73..33d5be38 100644
--- a/rc/tools/grep.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/grep.kak
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ All the optional arguments are forwarded to the grep utility} \
      output=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}"/kak-grep.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
      if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
-         { ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
+         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 & ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
      else
-         { ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
+         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' > ${output} 2>&1 & ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
      fi
 
      printf %s\\n "evaluate-commands -try-client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{
diff --git a/rc/tools/make.kak b/rc/tools/make.kak
index 588f6bd2..fabd7e75 100644
--- a/rc/tools/make.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/make.kak
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ All the optional arguments are forwarded to the make utility} \
     make %{ evaluate-commands %sh{
      output=$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}"/kak-make.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
-     { eval ${kak_opt_makecmd} "$@" > ${output} 2>&1 & } > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
+     ( eval ${kak_opt_makecmd} "$@" > ${output} 2>&1 & ) > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null
 
      printf %s\\n "evaluate-commands -try-client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{
                edit! -fifo ${output} -scroll *make*