diff --git a/scripts/check-syntax.sh b/scripts/check-syntax.sh
index f8195a4..4139fdf 100755
--- a/scripts/check-syntax.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-syntax.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ find . -iname '*.sh' | while read -r script; do
     -e SC1004 \
     "${script}"
 done
+shellcheck -x \
+    -e SC2002 \
+    -e SC2126 \
+    -e SC2129 \
+    -e SC2181 \
+    -e SC1004 \
+    "tests-ng/helpers"
 
 # check other python scripts
 echo "-----------------------------------------"
diff --git a/tests-ng/chmod-install.sh b/tests-ng/chmod-install.sh
index e0b94e5..8075adc 100755
--- a/tests-ng/chmod-install.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/chmod-install.sh
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ chmod 600 "${tmps}"/dotfiles/nomode
 echo "nomode" > "${tmpd}"/nomode
 chmod 700 "${tmpd}"/nomode
 (
-  d "${ddpath}"
+  cd "${ddpath}"
   printf 'y\ny\n' | ${bin} install -f -c "${cfg}" -p p2 -V f_nomode
   exit $?
 )
diff --git a/tests-ng/dynvariables.sh b/tests-ng/dynvariables.sh
index c4ef62c..c537c4f 100755
--- a/tests-ng/dynvariables.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/dynvariables.sh
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ profiles:
     dotfiles:
     - f_abc
 _EOF
-#cat ${cfg}
+#cat "${cfg}"
 
 # create the dotfile
 echo "{{@@ var1 @@}}" > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/abc
@@ -104,12 +104,13 @@ echo "test" >> "${tmps}"/dotfiles/abc
 # install
 cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -f -c "${cfg}" -p p1 -V
 
+#cat "${cfg}"
 echo "-----"
 cat "${tmpd}"/abc
 echo "-----"
 
 grep '^this is some test' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
-grep '^# author: deadc0de6' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+grep '^# shellcheck' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^tset,emos,si,siht' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep "^${TESTENV}" "${tmpd}"/abc > /dev/null
 grep '^4ravd_eht' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
diff --git a/tests-ng/helpers b/tests-ng/helpers
index 2876dfd..c7180da 100644
--- a/tests-ng/helpers
+++ b/tests-ng/helpers
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# shellcheck disable=SC2148
 # author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
 # Copyright (c) 2017, deadc0de6
 #
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ declare -a to_be_cleared
 clear_on_exit()
 {
   local len="${#to_be_cleared[*]}"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2004
   to_be_cleared[${len}]="$1"
   if [ "${len}" = "0" ]; then
     # set trap
@@ -37,14 +39,16 @@ on_exit()
 create_dir()
 {
   dirs="a/aa a/ab a/ac b/ba c"
-  mkdir -p ${1}
+  mkdir -p "${1}"
   for d in ${dirs}; do
     # create some dirs
-    mkdir -p ${1}/${d}
+    mkdir -p "${1}"/"${d}"
     # create some files
-    fn=`echo ${d} | sed 's#/#-#g'`
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2001
+    fn=$(echo "${d}" | sed 's#/#-#g')
     f="${1}/${d}/${fn}"
-    echo "${d}" > ${f}
+    echo "${d}" > "${f}"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2034
     token=${f}
   done
 }
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ create_dir()
 # $1: path to save to
 create_conf()
 {
-  cat > ${1} << _EOF
+  cat > "${1}" << _EOF
 config:
   backup: true
   create: true
diff --git a/tests-ng/profile-dynvariables.sh b/tests-ng/profile-dynvariables.sh
index 2574a11..5f9522e 100755
--- a/tests-ng/profile-dynvariables.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/profile-dynvariables.sh
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ grep '^local1' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^global2' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^local2' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 # test dynvariables
-grep "^# author: deadc0de6" "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+grep "^# shellcheck" "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^tset,emos,si,siht' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
 grep "^${TESTENV2}" "${tmpd}"/abc > /dev/null
 grep "^cba" "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
diff --git a/tests-ng/re-import.sh b/tests-ng/re-import.sh
index 98fb149..c991763 100755
--- a/tests-ng/re-import.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/re-import.sh
@@ -122,9 +122,11 @@ cat "${cfg}"
 
 # ensure exists and is not link
 [ ! -e "${tmps}/dotfiles/dotdrop.test" ] && echo "does not exist" && exit 1
-cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" >/dev/null 2>&1
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test'
 grep 'original' "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dotdrop.test
-nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" | wc -l)
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test' | wc -l)
 [ "${nb}" != "1" ] && echo 'not 1 entry' && exit 1
 
 # re-import without changing
@@ -134,9 +136,11 @@ cat "${cfg}"
 
 # test is only once
 [ ! -e "${tmps}/dotfiles/dotdrop.test" ] && echo "does not exist" && exit 1
-cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" >/dev/null 2>&1
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test' >/dev/null 2>&1
 grep 'original' "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dotdrop.test
-nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" | wc -l)
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test' | wc -l)
 [ "${nb}" != "1" ] && echo 'two entries!' && exit 1
 
 # re-import with changes
@@ -147,9 +151,11 @@ cat "${cfg}"
 
 # test is only once
 [ ! -e "${tmps}/dotfiles/dotdrop.test" ] && echo "does not exist" && exit 1
-cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" >/dev/null 2>&1
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test' >/dev/null 2>&1
 grep 'modified' "${tmps}"/dotfiles/dotdrop.test
-nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep "${HOME}/.dotdrop.test" | wc -l)
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+nb=$(cat "${cfg}" | grep '~/.dotdrop.test' | wc -l)
 [ "${nb}" != "1" ] && echo 'two entries!' && exit 1
 
 echo "OK"