diff --git a/usr.bin/renice/tests/renice_test.sh b/usr.bin/renice/tests/renice_test.sh
--- a/usr.bin/renice/tests/renice_test.sh
+++ b/usr.bin/renice/tests/renice_test.sh
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@
 
 atf_check_nice_value() {
 	local pid=$1
-	local nice=$2
-	atf_check test "$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)" -eq "$nice"
+	local expected=$2
+	local actual="$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)"
+	atf_check test "$actual" -eq "$expected"
 }
 
 atf_test_case renice_abs_pid
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@
 renice_abs_pgid_body() {
 	local pid pgid nice incr
 	# make sure target runs in a different pgrp than ours
-	pid=$(sh -mc "sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!")
+	pid="$(sh -mc "sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!")"
 	pgid="$(ps -o pgid= -p $pid)"
 	nice="$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)"
 	incr=3
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@
 renice_rel_pgid_body() {
 	local pid pgid nice incr
 	# make sure target runs in a different pgrp than ours
-	pid=$(sh -mc "sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!")
+	pid="$(sh -mc "sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!")"
 	pgid="$(ps -o pgid= -p $pid)"
 	nice="$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)"
 	incr=3
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@
 }
 renice_abs_user_body() {
 	local user pid nice incr
-	pid=$(su -m $TEST_USER -c "/bin/sh -c 'sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!'")
+	pid="$(su -m $TEST_USER -c "/bin/sh -c 'sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!'")"
 	nice="$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)"
 	incr=3
 	_renice $((nice+incr)) -u $TEST_USER
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@
 }
 renice_rel_user_body() {
 	local user pid nice incr
-	pid=$(su -m $TEST_USER -c "/bin/sh -c 'sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!'")
+	pid="$(su -m $TEST_USER -c "/bin/sh -c 'sleep 60 >/dev/null & echo \$!'")"
 	nice="$(ps -o nice= -p $pid)"
 	incr=3
 	_renice -u -n $incr $TEST_USER