diff --git a/include/init.sh b/include/init.sh
index cdefde21..25e2dc75 100644
--- a/include/init.sh
+++ b/include/init.sh
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ xbmk_get_version()
 xbmk_set_env()
 {
 	is_child="n"
-
 	xbmkpath="$PATH"
 
 	# unify all temporary files/directories in a single TMPDIR
@@ -126,10 +125,8 @@ xbmk_set_env()
 	if [ "$is_child" = "y" ]; then
 		xbmk_child_set_env
 		return 1 # child instance. discontinue initialisation.
-	else
-		xbmk_parent_set_env
-		return 0 # parent instance. continue initialisation.
 	fi
+	xbmk_parent_set_env
 }
 
 xbmk_child_set_env()
@@ -298,15 +295,12 @@ xbmk_set_pyver()
 		err "Bad python version (must by 3.x)" "xbmk_set_pyver" "$@"
 
 	# set up python in PATH (environmental variable):
-
 	(
 		x_ cd "$xbtmp/xbmkpath"
-
 		x_ ln -s "`x_ pybin "$python"`" python || \
 		    err "can't make symlink" "xbmk_set_pyver" "$@"
 
-	) || \
-	    err "Can't link Python in $xbtmp/xbmkpath" "xbmk_set_pyver" "$@"; :
+	) || err "Can't link Python in $xbtmp/xbmkpath" xbmk_set_pyver "$@"; :
 }
 
 # Use direct path, to prevent a hang if Python is using a virtual environment,
diff --git a/include/lib.sh b/include/lib.sh
index 781ff877..a7e93dfb 100644
--- a/include/lib.sh
+++ b/include/lib.sh
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ e()
 	fi
 
 	eval "$estr"
-
 	printf "%s %s\n" "$1" "$es2" 1>&2
 }
 
@@ -109,7 +108,6 @@ findpath()
 		fi
 
 		printf "%s\n" "$found"
-
 		shift 1
 	done
 }
@@ -157,7 +155,6 @@ xbmkdir()
 	while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
 		[ ! -d "$1" ] && \
 			x_ mkdir -p "$1"
-
 		shift 1
 	done
 }
diff --git a/include/release.sh b/include/release.sh
index 8a429598..5491de10 100644
--- a/include/release.sh
+++ b/include/release.sh
@@ -1,32 +1,22 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
-# Copyright (c) 2023-2025 Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org>
+# Copyright (c) 2023-2026 Leah Rowe <leah@libreboot.org>
 
-reldest=""
-reldir=""
-relmode=""
-rsrc=""
-vdir=""
+eval "`newvar reldest reldir relmode rsrc vdir`"
 
 release()
 {
 	export XBMK_RELEASE="y"
-
 	reldir="release"
 
 	while getopts m: option
 	do
 		[ -z "$OPTARG" ] && \
 			err "empty argument not allowed" "release" "$@"
-
-		case "$option" in
-		m)
-			relmode="$OPTARG"
-			;;
-		*)
+		[ "$option" != "m" ] && \
 			err "invalid option '-$option'" "release" "$@"
-			;;
-		esac
+
+		relmode="$OPTARG"
 	done
 
 	reldest="$reldir/$version"
@@ -36,7 +26,6 @@ release()
 	vdir="`mktemp -d || err "can't make vdir"`" || \
 	    err "can't make tmp vdir" "release" "$@"
 	vdir="$vdir/$version"
-
 	rsrc="$vdir/${relname}_src"
 
 	remkdir "$vdir"
diff --git a/include/rom.sh b/include/rom.sh
index bf7f1164..0418f397 100644
--- a/include/rom.sh
+++ b/include/rom.sh
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ copyps1bios()
 
 mkpayload_grub()
 {
-	grub_modules=""
-	grub_install_modules=""
+	eval "`newvar grub_modules grub_install_modules`"
 
 	$if_dry_build \
 		return 0