diff --git a/tests/code_layout/test_shellcheck.sh b/tests/code_layout/test_shellcheck.sh
index 824ba6553a1..f7559a6ef47 100755
--- a/tests/code_layout/test_shellcheck.sh
+++ b/tests/code_layout/test_shellcheck.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # This runs shellcheck on all sh files
 
 
-srcdir=`dirname $0`/../../
+srcdir=$(dirname $0)/../../
 
 DIR=$(git -C ${srcdir} rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 
diff --git a/tests/code_layout/test_sip_include.sh b/tests/code_layout/test_sip_include.sh
index cf70f7ad148..e81af576b75 100755
--- a/tests/code_layout/test_sip_include.sh
+++ b/tests/code_layout/test_sip_include.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-srcdir=`dirname $0`/../../
+srcdir=$(dirname $0)/../../
 
 DIR=$(git -C ${srcdir} rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 REV=$(git -C ${srcdir} log -n1 --pretty=%H)
diff --git a/tests/code_layout/test_sipfiles_uptodate.sh b/tests/code_layout/test_sipfiles_uptodate.sh
index 8b679db54a9..fed7bfcf15a 100755
--- a/tests/code_layout/test_sipfiles_uptodate.sh
+++ b/tests/code_layout/test_sipfiles_uptodate.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #set -e
 
-srcdir=`dirname $0`/../../
+srcdir=$(dirname $0)/../../
 
 DIR=$(git -C ${srcdir} rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 
diff --git a/tests/code_layout/test_sipify.sh b/tests/code_layout/test_sipify.sh
index 81969021f51..7c7cb67f1dd 100755
--- a/tests/code_layout/test_sipify.sh
+++ b/tests/code_layout/test_sipify.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # This runs sipify on the demo header and checks output
 
-srcdir=`dirname $0`/../../
+srcdir=$(dirname $0)/../../
 
 DIR=$(git -C ${srcdir} rev-parse --show-toplevel)