diff --git a/functions b/functions
index 8e9820cc4b..5730b6c894 100644
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -94,12 +94,14 @@ function upload_image {
         local path_len
 
         # vmdk adapter type
-        local vmdk_adapter_type="$(head -25 $image | { grep -a -F -m 1 'ddb.adapterType =' $image || true; })"
+        local vmdk_adapter_type
+        vmdk_adapter_type="$(head -25 $image | { grep -a -F -m 1 'ddb.adapterType =' $image || true; })"
         vmdk_adapter_type="${vmdk_adapter_type#*\"}"
         vmdk_adapter_type="${vmdk_adapter_type%?}"
 
         # vmdk disk type
-        local vmdk_create_type="$(head -25 $image | { grep -a -F -m 1 'createType=' $image || true; })"
+        local vmdk_create_type
+        vmdk_create_type="$(head -25 $image | { grep -a -F -m 1 'createType=' $image || true; })"
         vmdk_create_type="${vmdk_create_type#*\"}"
         vmdk_create_type="${vmdk_create_type%\"*}"
 
@@ -109,7 +111,8 @@ function upload_image {
             vmdk_disktype="sparse"
         elif [[ "$vmdk_create_type" = "monolithicFlat" || "$vmdk_create_type" = "vmfs" ]]; then
             # Attempt to retrieve the ``*-flat.vmdk``
-            local flat_fname="$(head -25 $image | { grep -G 'RW\|RDONLY [0-9]+ FLAT\|VMFS' $image || true; })"
+            local flat_fname
+            flat_fname="$(head -25 $image | { grep -G 'RW\|RDONLY [0-9]+ FLAT\|VMFS' $image || true; })"
             flat_fname="${flat_fname#*\"}"
             flat_fname="${flat_fname%?}"
             if [[ -z "$flat_fname" ]]; then
@@ -407,8 +410,10 @@ function ping_check {
 function get_instance_ip {
     local vm_id=$1
     local network_name=$2
-    local nova_result="$(nova show $vm_id)"
+    local nova_result
     local ip
+
+    nova_result="$(nova show $vm_id)"
     ip=$(echo "$nova_result" | grep "$network_name" | get_field 2)
     if [[ $ip = "" ]];then
         echo "$nova_result"
diff --git a/functions-common b/functions-common
index c81e2b0347..a26cc50db6 100644
--- a/functions-common
+++ b/functions-common
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ function get_plugin_packages {
     local files_to_parse=""
     local package_dir=""
     for plugin in ${DEVSTACK_PLUGINS//,/ }; do
-        local package_dir="$(_get_package_dir ${GITDIR[$plugin]}/devstack/files)"
+        package_dir="$(_get_package_dir ${GITDIR[$plugin]}/devstack/files)"
         files_to_parse+=" $package_dir/$plugin"
     done
     echo "$(_parse_package_files $files_to_parse)"
diff --git a/inc/ini-config b/inc/ini-config
index e99b088994..1f12343ae0 100644
--- a/inc/ini-config
+++ b/inc/ini-config
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ function iniadd {
     local option=$3
     shift 3
 
-    local values="$(iniget_multiline $file $section $option) $@"
+    local values
+    values="$(iniget_multiline $file $section $option) $@"
     iniset_multiline $sudo $file $section $option $values
     $xtrace
 }
diff --git a/lib/neutron-legacy b/lib/neutron-legacy
index d288e069d5..7d6e881881 100644
--- a/lib/neutron-legacy
+++ b/lib/neutron-legacy
@@ -713,9 +713,12 @@ function install_neutron_agent_packages {
 
 # Start running processes, including screen
 function start_neutron_service_and_check {
-    local cfg_file_options="$(determine_config_files neutron-server)"
     local service_port=$Q_PORT
     local service_protocol=$Q_PROTOCOL
+    local cfg_file_options
+
+    cfg_file_options="$(determine_config_files neutron-server)"
+
     if is_service_enabled tls-proxy; then
         service_port=$Q_PORT_INT
         service_protocol="http"
diff --git a/tools/xen/functions b/tools/xen/functions
index 8c674dcce3..cf145686b5 100644
--- a/tools/xen/functions
+++ b/tools/xen/functions
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ function create_directory_for_kernels {
     if [ -d "/boot/guest" ]; then
         echo "INFO: /boot/guest directory already exists, using that" >&2
     else
-        local LOCALPATH="$(get_local_sr_path)/os-guest-kernels"
-        mkdir -p $LOCALPATH
-        ln -s $LOCALPATH /boot/guest
+        local local_path
+        local_path="$(get_local_sr_path)/os-guest-kernels"
+        mkdir -p $local_path
+        ln -s $local_path /boot/guest
     fi
 }
 
@@ -33,9 +34,10 @@ function create_directory_for_images {
     if [ -d "/images" ]; then
         echo "INFO: /images directory already exists, using that" >&2
     else
-        local LOCALPATH="$(get_local_sr_path)/os-images"
-        mkdir -p $LOCALPATH
-        ln -s $LOCALPATH /images
+        local local_path
+        local_path="$(get_local_sr_path)/os-images"
+        mkdir -p $local_path
+        ln -s $local_path /images
     fi
 }
 
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ function find_ip_by_name {
 
         if [ -z "$ipaddress" ]; then
             sleep $period
-            ((i++))
+            i=$((i+1))
         else
             echo $ipaddress
             break
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index aaae08c364..ef557fbffe 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ usedevelop = False
 install_command = pip install {opts} {packages}
 
 [testenv:bashate]
+# if you want to test out some changes you have made to bashate
+# against devstack, just set BASHATE_INSTALL_PATH=/path/... to your
+# modified bashate tree
 deps =
    {env:BASHATE_INSTALL_PATH:bashate==0.4.0}
 whitelist_externals = bash