diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/common_translation_update.sh b/jenkins/scripts/common_translation_update.sh
index 06215236df..40f4856df1 100644
--- a/jenkins/scripts/common_translation_update.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/common_translation_update.sh
@@ -206,10 +206,10 @@ EOF
         # 3) no -2 by reviewers
         # 4) no Workflow -1 (WIP)
         #
-        if  `echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Workflow","description":"Workflow","value":"1"'` \
-            && ! `echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Verified","description":"Verified","value":"-[12]","grantedOn":[0-9]*,"by":{"name":"Jenkins","username":"jenkins"}}'`  \
-            && ! `echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Code-Review","description":"Code-Review","value":"-2"'` \
-            && ! `echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Workflow","description":"Workflow","value":"-1"'`  ; then
+        if echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Workflow","description":"Workflow","value":"1"' \
+            && ! echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Verified","description":"Verified","value":"-[12]","grantedOn":[0-9]*,"by":{"name":"Jenkins","username":"jenkins"}}'  \
+            && ! echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Code-Review","description":"Code-Review","value":"-2"' \
+            && ! echo $change_info|grep -q '{"type":"Workflow","description":"Workflow","value":"-1"' ; then
             echo "Job already approved, exiting"
             exit 0
         fi
diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/run-docs.sh b/jenkins/scripts/run-docs.sh
index 8bd4104dc8..7f833770bb 100755
--- a/jenkins/scripts/run-docs.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/run-docs.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ echo "======================================================================"
 
 if [ -z "$ZUUL_REFNAME" ] || [ "$ZUUL_REFNAME" == "master" ] ; then
     : # Leave the docs where they are.
-elif `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep refs/tags/ >/dev/null` ; then
+elif echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep refs/tags/ >/dev/null ; then
     # Put tagged releases in proper location. All tagged builds get copied to
     # BUILD_DIR/tagname. If this is the latest tagged release the copy of files
     # at BUILD_DIR remains. When Jenkins copies this file the root developer
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ elif `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep refs/tags/ >/dev/null` ; then
             mv doc/build/$TAG doc/build/html/$TAG
         fi
     fi
-elif `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep stable/ >/dev/null` ; then
+elif echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep stable/ >/dev/null ; then
     # Put stable release changes in dir named after stable release under the
     # build dir. When Jenkins copies these files they will be accessible under
     # the developer docs root using the stable release's name.
diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_django_openstack_auth.sh b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_django_openstack_auth.sh
index 8a6d374bee..deaa66c3b2 100755
--- a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_django_openstack_auth.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_django_openstack_auth.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 # The script is to push the updated English po to Transifex.
 
-if [ ! `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master` ]; then
+if ! echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ python setup.py extract_messages
 # Add all changed files to git
 git add openstack_auth/locale/*
 
-if [ ! `git diff-index --quiet HEAD --` ]; then
+if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
     # Push .pot changes to transifex
     tx --debug --traceback push -s
 fi
diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_horizon.sh b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_horizon.sh
index 837807e152..2aae3949de 100755
--- a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_horizon.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_horizon.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 PROJECT="horizon"
 
-if [ ! `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master` ]; then
+if ! echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update.sh b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update.sh
index 0b906fc7f0..c981151483 100755
--- a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 PROJECT=$1
 
-if [ ! `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master` ]; then
+if ! echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ extract_messages_log "$PROJECT"
 # Add all changed files to git
 git add $PROJECT/locale/*
 
-if [ ! `git diff-index --quiet HEAD --` ]; then
+if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
     # Push .pot changes to transifex
 
     # Transifex project name does not include "."
diff --git a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update_manuals.sh b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update_manuals.sh
index f12f9bfa0b..0cce44ba20 100755
--- a/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update_manuals.sh
+++ b/jenkins/scripts/upstream_translation_update_manuals.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 PROJECT=$1
 
-if [ ! `echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master` ]; then
+if ! echo $ZUUL_REFNAME | grep master; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ setup_translation
 
 setup_manuals "$PROJECT"
 
-if [ ! `git diff --cached --quiet HEAD --` ]; then
+if ! git diff --cached --quiet HEAD --; then
     # Push .pot changes to transifex
     tx --debug --traceback push -s
 fi