diff --git a/include/chromebook.sh b/include/chromebook.sh
index 0b8b50f1..0becc601 100644
--- a/include/chromebook.sh
+++ b/include/chromebook.sh
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ mr_edk2tree="chromebook" # tree name in xbmk
 # mxlibreboot was here
 prep_mr_import()
 {
-	if [ -f "$xbmkpwd/CHANGELOG" ]; then
+	[ -f "$xbmkpwd/CHANGELOG" ] && \
 		err "Project import disabled on releases" "prep_mr_import" "$@"
-	fi
 
 	mr_tmpdir="`mktemp -d || err "can't make mrtmpdir"`" || \
 	    err "can't make mrtmpdir" "prep_mr_coreboot" "$@"
diff --git a/include/init.sh b/include/init.sh
index e611127f..52e87a6c 100644
--- a/include/init.sh
+++ b/include/init.sh
@@ -142,23 +142,12 @@ xbmk_set_env()
 	[ -n "${TMPDIR+x}" ] && \
 		is_child="y"
 
-	if [ "$is_child" = "y" ]
-	then
-		# child instance of xbmk, so we stop init after this point
-		# and execute the given user command upon return:
-
+	if [ "$is_child" = "y" ]; then
 		xbmk_child_set_env
-
-		return 1
+		return 1 # child instance. discontinue initialisation.
 	else
-		# parent instance of xbmk, so we continue initialising.
-		# a parent instance of xbmk never processes its own
-		# command directly; instead, it calls a child instance
-		# of xbmk, and exits with the corresponding return status.
-
 		xbmk_parent_set_env
-
-		return 0
+		return 0 # parent instance. continue initialisation.
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -188,7 +177,6 @@ xbmk_child_set_tmp()
 
 	if [ "$locktmp" != "$xbtmpchk" ]; then
 		badtmp="TMPDIR '$xbtmpchk' changed; was '$locktmp'"
-
 		printf "bad TMPDIR init, '%s': %s\n" "$TMPDIR" "$badtmp" 1>&2
 		err "'$xbmklock' present with bad tmpdir. is a build running?"
 	fi
diff --git a/include/inject.sh b/include/inject.sh
index b037d2c5..eb764a98 100644
--- a/include/inject.sh
+++ b/include/inject.sh
@@ -104,9 +104,8 @@ check_target()
 	. "$boarddir/target.cfg" || \
 	    err "Can't read '$boarddir/target.cfg'" "check_target" "$@"
 
-	if [ -z "$tree" ]; then
+	[ -z "$tree" ] && \
 		err "tree unset in '$boarddir/target.cfg'" "check_target" "$@"
-	fi
 
 	x_ ./mk -d coreboot "$tree"
 
diff --git a/include/rom.sh b/include/rom.sh
index 3d628acb..bf7f1164 100644
--- a/include/rom.sh
+++ b/include/rom.sh
@@ -368,8 +368,7 @@ add_uboot()
 		ubtree="x86_64"
 		ubtarget="amd64coreboot"
 
-		if [ "$payload_uboot" = "i386" ]
-		then
+		if [ "$payload_uboot" = "i386" ]; then
 			ubpath="u-boot" # 32-bit
 			ubtree="x86"
 			ubtarget="i386coreboot"; :
@@ -378,18 +377,13 @@ add_uboot()
 
 	ubdir="elf/u-boot/$ubtree/$ubtarget/$uboot_config"
 
-	# aarch64 targets:
-	ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot.elf"
-	if [ ! -f "$ubootelf" ]; then
-		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot"
-	fi
-
-	# override for x86/x86_64 targets:
-	if [ "$payload_uboot" = "i386" ]; then
-		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot-dtb.bin"
-	elif [ "$payload_uboot" = "amd64" ]; then
-		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot-x86-with-spl.bin" # EFI-compatible
-	fi
+	ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot.elf" # aarch64
+	[ ! -f "$ubootelf" ] && \
+		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot" # aarch64 (fallback)
+	[ "$payload_uboot" = "i386" ] && \
+		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot-dtb.bin" # x86 override
+	[ "$payload_uboot" = "amd64" ] && \
+		ubootelf="$ubdir/u-boot-x86-with-spl.bin" # x86_64 override
 
 	cbfs "$tmprom" "$ubootelf" "$ubpath" $ubcbfsargs
 	[ "$payload_seabios" != "y" ] && \
diff --git a/include/tree.sh b/include/tree.sh
index d891c3af..9ac0ca6d 100644
--- a/include/tree.sh
+++ b/include/tree.sh
@@ -55,11 +55,8 @@ trees()
 			if_dry_build=""
 			if_not_do_make=""
 			if_not_dry_build=":"
-			if [ "$flag" = "-F" ]; then
-				# don't skip git fetch/pull on cached src
-
-				forcepull="y"
-			fi
+			[ "$flag" = "-F" ] && \
+				forcepull="y"; : # never skip git fetch/pull
 			;;
 		-s) mode="savedefconfig" ;;
 		-l) mode="olddefconfig" ;;
diff --git a/include/vendor.sh b/include/vendor.sh
index b3ab60b1..07411ed8 100644
--- a/include/vendor.sh
+++ b/include/vendor.sh
@@ -123,8 +123,7 @@ fetch()
 	remkdir "${_pre_dest%/*}" "$appdir"
 
 	# HACK: if grabbing fsp from coreboot, fix the path for lbmk
-	if [ "$dl_type" = "fsp" ]
-	then
+	if [ "$dl_type" = "fsp" ]; then
 		dl="${dl##*../}"
 		_cdp="$dl"
 
@@ -474,9 +473,8 @@ bootstrap()
 	rmodtool="elf/coreboot/$tree/rmodtool"
 
 	mecleaner="$xbmkpwd/$cbdir/util/me_cleaner/me_cleaner.py"
-	if [ "$XBMKmecleaner" = "y" ]; then
+	[ "$XBMKmecleaner" = "y" ] && \
 		mecleaner="$xbmkpwd/src/me_cleaner/me_cleaner.py"
-	fi
 
 	x_ ./mk -f coreboot "${cbdir##*/}"
 	x_ ./mk -f me_cleaner