if test "$templatefile" != ""
        then
                # Test whether this is just the unaltered template.
-               if cnt=`sed -e '/^#/d' < "$templatefile" |
+               if cnt=$(sed -e '/^#/d' < "$templatefile" |
                        git stripspace |
                        diff "$GIT_DIR"/COMMIT_BAREMSG - |
-                       wc -l` &&
+                       wc -l) &&
                   test 0 -lt $cnt
                then
                        have_commitmsg=t
        fi
        if test -z "$quiet"
        then
-               commit=`git diff-tree --always --shortstat --pretty="format:%h: %s"\
-                      --abbrev --summary --root HEAD --`
+               commit=$(git diff-tree --always --shortstat --pretty="format:%h: %s"\
+                      --abbrev --summary --root HEAD --)
                echo "Created${initial_commit:+ initial} commit $commit"
        fi
 fi