diff --git a/src/rc/grep.kak b/src/rc/grep.kak
index b98708b0..9e969304 100644
--- a/src/rc/grep.kak
+++ b/src/rc/grep.kak
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ def -shell-params -file-completion \
      output=$(mktemp -d -t kak-grep.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
      if (( $# > 0 )); then
-         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+         ( eval ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "$@" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
      else
-         ( ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+         ( eval ${kak_opt_grepcmd} "${kak_selection}" | tr -d '\r' >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
      fi
 
      [[ -n "$kak_opt_toolsclient" ]] && echo "eval -client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{"
diff --git a/src/rc/make.kak b/src/rc/make.kak
index 6e77164a..f7df1439 100644
--- a/src/rc/make.kak
+++ b/src/rc/make.kak
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ decl str toolsclient
 def -shell-params make %{ %sh{
      output=$(mktemp -d -t kak-make.XXXXXXXX)/fifo
      mkfifo ${output}
-     ( ${kak_opt_makecmd} $@ >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
+     ( eval ${kak_opt_makecmd} $@ >& ${output} ) >& /dev/null < /dev/null &
 
      [[ -n "$kak_opt_toolsclient" ]] && echo "eval -client '$kak_opt_toolsclient' %{"