diff --git a/rc/base/dlang.kak b/rc/base/dlang.kak
index 7ee1ccc5..25e20fc5 100644
--- a/rc/base/dlang.kak
+++ b/rc/base/dlang.kak
@@ -53,16 +53,16 @@ addhl -group /dlang/code regex "\<(this)\>\s*[^(]" 1:value
     decorators="disable|property|nogc|safe|trusted|system"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=dlang %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=dlang %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
         set -add window static_words '${decorators}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /dlang/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /dlang/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /dlang/code regex \<(${types})\> 0:type
diff --git a/rc/base/golang.kak b/rc/base/golang.kak
index e88aa8a9..1d2c994b 100644
--- a/rc/base/golang.kak
+++ b/rc/base/golang.kak
@@ -36,15 +36,15 @@ addhl -group /golang/code regex %{-?([0-9]*\.(?!0[xX]))?\<([0-9]+|0[xX][0-9a-fA-
     values="false|true|nil"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=golang %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=golang %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /golang/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /golang/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /golang/code regex \<(${types})\> 0:type
diff --git a/rc/base/makefile.kak b/rc/base/makefile.kak
index a64b6fd3..db005ee4 100644
--- a/rc/base/makefile.kak
+++ b/rc/base/makefile.kak
@@ -27,14 +27,12 @@ addhl -group /makefile/content regex [+?:]= 0:operator
     keywords="ifeq|ifneq|else|endif"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=makefile %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=makefile %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
-        addhl -group /makefile/content regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
-    "
+    printf %s "addhl -group /makefile/content regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword"
 }
 
 # Commands
diff --git a/rc/base/perl.kak b/rc/base/perl.kak
index 008e70cd..4ba6466d 100644
--- a/rc/base/perl.kak
+++ b/rc/base/perl.kak
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ addhl -group /perl/comment fill comment
     values="ARGV|STDERR|STDOUT|ARGVOUT|STDIN|__DATA__|__END__|__FILE__|__LINE__|__PACKAGE__"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=perl %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=perl %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /perl/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /perl/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /perl/code regex \<(${values})\> 0:value
diff --git a/rc/base/ruby.kak b/rc/base/ruby.kak
index 1fffc57a..821e1941 100644
--- a/rc/base/ruby.kak
+++ b/rc/base/ruby.kak
@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@ addhl -group /ruby/code regex \<([A-Za-z]\w*:)|([$@][A-Za-z]\w*)|(\W\K:[A-Za-z]\
     meta="require|include"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=ruby %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=ruby %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
         set -add window static_words '${meta}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /ruby/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /ruby/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /ruby/code regex \<(${values})\> 0:value
diff --git a/rc/core/c-family.kak b/rc/core/c-family.kak
index 067a87c1..345ba3db 100644
--- a/rc/core/c-family.kak
+++ b/rc/core/c-family.kak
@@ -101,14 +101,14 @@ addhl -group /c/code regex %{\<NULL\>|\<-?(0x[0-9a-fA-F]+|\d+)[fdiu]?|'((\\.)?|[
     types="void|char|short|int|long|signed|unsigned|float|double|size_t"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=c %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=c %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /c/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /c/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /c/code regex \<(${types})\> 0:type
@@ -133,15 +133,15 @@ addhl -group /cpp/code regex %{\<-?(0x[0-9a-fA-F]+|\d+)[fdiu]?|'((\\.)?|[^'\\])'
     values="this|true|false|NULL|nullptr"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=cpp %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=cpp %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /cpp/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /cpp/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /cpp/code regex \<(${types})\> 0:type
@@ -165,16 +165,16 @@ addhl -group /objc/code regex %{\<-?\d+[fdiu]?|'((\\.)?|[^'\\])'} 0:value
     decorators="${decorators}|selector|autoreleasepool|try|catch|class|synchronized"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=objc %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=objc %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${attributes}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
         set -add window static_words '${decorators}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /objc/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /objc/code regex \<(${attributes})\> 0:attribute
         addhl -group /objc/code regex \<(${types})\> 0:type
diff --git a/rc/core/kakrc.kak b/rc/core/kakrc.kak
index 906c2168..0f7612f7 100644
--- a/rc/core/kakrc.kak
+++ b/rc/core/kakrc.kak
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ addhl -group / regions -default code kakrc \
     values="default|black|red|green|yellow|blue|magenta|cyan|white"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${values}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /kakrc/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
         addhl -group /kakrc/code regex \<(${values})\> 0:value
     "
diff --git a/rc/core/python.kak b/rc/core/python.kak
index 380c43c4..f378d7a6 100644
--- a/rc/core/python.kak
+++ b/rc/core/python.kak
@@ -35,22 +35,22 @@ addhl -group /python/comment       fill comment
     types="bool|buffer|bytearray|complex|dict|file|float|frozenset|int|list|long|memoryview|object|set|str|tuple|unicode|xrange"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=python %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=python %{
         set window static_words '${values}'
         set -add window static_words '${meta}'
         set -add window static_words '${keywords}'
         set -add window static_words '${types}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
+    printf %s "
         addhl -group /python/code regex '\<(${values})\>' 0:value
         addhl -group /python/code regex '\<(${meta})\>' 0:meta
         addhl -group /python/code regex '\<(${keywords})\>' 0:keyword
     "
 
     # Highlight types, when they are not used as constructors
-    echo "addhl -group /python/code regex '\<(${types})\>[^(]' 1:type"
+    printf %s "addhl -group /python/code regex '\<(${types})\>[^(]' 1:type"
 }
 
 # Commands
diff --git a/rc/core/sh.kak b/rc/core/sh.kak
index 4111e6a5..facf40ca 100644
--- a/rc/core/sh.kak
+++ b/rc/core/sh.kak
@@ -24,14 +24,12 @@ addhl -group /sh/comment fill comment
     keywords="${keywords}|time|type|typeset|ulimit|unalias|until|while"
 
     # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list
-    sed 's,|,:,g' <<< "hook global WinSetOption filetype=sh %{
+    printf %s "hook global WinSetOption filetype=sh %{
         set window static_words '${keywords}'
-    }"
+    }" | sed 's,|,:,g'
 
     # Highlight keywords
-    echo "
-        addhl -group /sh/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword
-    "
+    printf %s "addhl -group /sh/code regex \<(${keywords})\> 0:keyword"
 }
 
 addhl -group /sh/code regex [\[\]\(\)&|]{2}|\[\s|\s\] 0:operator