diff --git a/scripts/build/configure/termux_step_configure_cmake.sh b/scripts/build/configure/termux_step_configure_cmake.sh
index 222815f75..2da77f6ec 100644
--- a/scripts/build/configure/termux_step_configure_cmake.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/configure/termux_step_configure_cmake.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ termux_step_configure_cmake() {
 	termux_setup_cmake
 
 	local BUILD_TYPE=MinSizeRel
-	$TERMUX_DEBUG && BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+	[ "$TERMUX_DEBUG" = "true" ] && BUILD_TYPE=Debug
 
 	local CMAKE_PROC=$TERMUX_ARCH
 	test $CMAKE_PROC == "arm" && CMAKE_PROC='armv7-a'
diff --git a/scripts/build/termux_get_repo_files.sh b/scripts/build/termux_get_repo_files.sh
index 4c65134d4..9bf6f72ff 100644
--- a/scripts/build/termux_get_repo_files.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/termux_get_repo_files.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 termux_get_repo_files() {
 	# Not needed for on-device builds.
-	$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD && return
+	[ "$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD" = "true" ] && return
 
 	# Ensure folders present (but not $TERMUX_PKG_SRCDIR, it will be created in build)
 	mkdir -p "$TERMUX_COMMON_CACHEDIR" \
diff --git a/scripts/build/termux_step_create_debfile.sh b/scripts/build/termux_step_create_debfile.sh
index cd2fb9421..42474a828 100644
--- a/scripts/build/termux_step_create_debfile.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/termux_step_create_debfile.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ termux_step_create_debfile() {
 	TERMUX_PKG_INSTALLSIZE=$(du -sk . | cut -f 1)
 
 	# From here on TERMUX_ARCH is set to "all" if TERMUX_PKG_PLATFORM_INDEPENDENT is set by the package
-	${TERMUX_PKG_PLATFORM_INDEPENDENT-false} && TERMUX_ARCH=all
+	[ "$TERMUX_PKG_PLATFORM_INDEPENDENT" = "true" ] && TERMUX_ARCH=all
 
 	mkdir -p DEBIAN
 	cat > DEBIAN/control <<-HERE
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ termux_step_create_debfile() {
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_BREAKS" && echo "Breaks: $TERMUX_PKG_BREAKS" >> DEBIAN/control
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_PRE_DEPENDS" && echo "Pre-Depends: $TERMUX_PKG_PRE_DEPENDS" >> DEBIAN/control
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_DEPENDS" && echo "Depends: $TERMUX_PKG_DEPENDS" >> DEBIAN/control
-	${TERMUX_PKG_ESSENTIAL-false} && echo "Essential: yes" >> DEBIAN/control
+	[ "$TERMUX_PKG_ESSENTIAL" = "true" ] && echo "Essential: yes" >> DEBIAN/control
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_CONFLICTS" && echo "Conflicts: $TERMUX_PKG_CONFLICTS" >> DEBIAN/control
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_RECOMMENDS" && echo "Recommends: $TERMUX_PKG_RECOMMENDS" >> DEBIAN/control
 	test ! -z "$TERMUX_PKG_REPLACES" && echo "Replaces: $TERMUX_PKG_REPLACES" >> DEBIAN/control
diff --git a/scripts/build/termux_step_handle_buildarch.sh b/scripts/build/termux_step_handle_buildarch.sh
index 811136ecc..141d3812d 100644
--- a/scripts/build/termux_step_handle_buildarch.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/termux_step_handle_buildarch.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 termux_step_handle_buildarch() {
-	$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD && return
+	[ "$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD" = "true" ] && return
 
 	# If $TERMUX_PREFIX already exists, it may have been built for a different arch
 	local TERMUX_ARCH_FILE=/data/TERMUX_ARCH
diff --git a/scripts/build/termux_step_start_build.sh b/scripts/build/termux_step_start_build.sh
index fe0fae412..4bac31bfd 100644
--- a/scripts/build/termux_step_start_build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build/termux_step_start_build.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ termux_step_start_build() {
 		termux_get_repo_files
 
 		# When doing build on device, ensure that apt lists are up-to-date.
-		$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD && apt update
+		[ "$TERMUX_ON_DEVICE_BUILD" = "true" ] && apt update
 
 		# Download dependencies
 		while read PKG PKG_DIR; do