diff --git a/Mk/mkfile b/Mk/mkfile
--- a/Mk/mkfile
+++ b/Mk/mkfile
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ files=`{pwd}/files
 
 # for ease of use
 BUILDPATH=`{ if(~ $#BUILDPATH 0){ echo 'work/' }; if not { echo $BUILDPATH }}
-BUILDCOMMAND=`{ if(~ $#BUILDCOMMAND 0){ echo 'mk' }; if not { echo $BUILDCOMMAND }}
-INSTALLCOMMAND=`{ if(~ $#INSTALLCOMMAND 0){ echo 'mk install' }; if not { echo $INSTALLCOMMAND }}
-CLEANCOMMAND=`{ if(~ $#CLEANCOMMAND 0){ echo 'mk clean' }; if not { echo $CLEANCOMMAND }}
 archmask=`{ if(! ~ $#ARCHMASK 0) { echo $ARCHMASK } }
 
 <|$PORTS/Mk/mk.rc
@@ -232,15 +229,12 @@ build:QE:	patch
 	@{
 		rfork ne
 		cd $BUILDPATH
-		if(! ~ $BUILDCOMMAND ''){
-			$BUILDCOMMAND
-		}
-		if not {
-			status=''
-		}
+		if(~ $#BUILDCOMMAND 0)
+			BUILDCOMMAND=mk
+		eval $BUILDCOMMAND || exit $status
 		if(! ~ $#POSTBUILD 0){
 			echo 'Running post-build hooks...'
-			$POSTBUILD
+			eval $POSTBUILD
 		}
 	}
 	touch build
@@ -258,7 +252,7 @@ test:VQE:	build
 		rfork ne
 		cd $BUILDPATH
 		if(! ~ $#TESTCOMMAND 0){
-			$TESTCOMMAND
+			eval $TESTCOMMAND
 			if(! ~ $status ''){
 				echo 'Tests failed. Please notify '^$OWNER
 				status='tests failed'
@@ -284,8 +278,10 @@ install:QE:	build
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if(~ $#INSTALLCOMMAND 0)
+		INSTALLCOMMAND=mk install
 	if(! checkport $PORTNAME){
-		@{ rfork ne; cd $BUILDPATH && $INSTALLCOMMAND } || exit $status
+		@{ rfork ne; cd $BUILDPATH && eval $INSTALLCOMMAND } || exit $status
 		if(! ~ $#VERSION 0){
 			register $PORTNAME $VERSION
 		}
@@ -312,7 +308,7 @@ reinstall:VQE:	build
 	cd $BUILDPATH
 	@{
 		rfork ne
-		$INSTALLCOMMAND
+		eval $INSTALLCOMMAND
 	}
 	if(! ~ $*MESSAGE 0){
 		for(i in $MESSAGE){
@@ -325,7 +321,9 @@ testinstall:VQE:
 	cd $BUILDPATH
 	@{
 		rfork ne
-		$INSTALLCOMMAND
+		if(~ $#INSTALLCOMMAND 0)
+			INSTALLCOMMAND=mk install
+		eval $INSTALLCOMMAND
 	}
 	if(! ~ $*MESSAGE 0){
 		for(i in $MESSAGE){
@@ -341,9 +339,9 @@ clean:VQE:	$BUILDPATH
 		if(! ~ $#NOCLEAN 0) {
 			exit
 		}
-		if(! ~ $#CLEANCOMMAND 0){
-			$CLEANCOMMAND || exit $status
-		}
+		if(~ $#CLEANCOMMAND 0)
+			CLEANCOMAND=mk clean
+		eval $CLEANCOMMAND || exit $status
 	}
 	rm -f build
 	status=''
@@ -381,7 +379,7 @@ uninstall:VQE:
 		@{
 			rfork ne
 			cd $BUILDPATH
-			$UNINSTALLCOMMAND
+			eval $UNINSTALLCOMMAND
 		} || exit $status
 	}
 	deregister $PORTNAME
diff --git a/dev-lang/go-19/mkfile b/dev-lang/go-19/mkfile
--- a/dev-lang/go-19/mkfile
+++ b/dev-lang/go-19/mkfile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ DEPS=app-misc/ca-certificates
 WEBSOURCE=http://9legacy.org/download/go/go$VERSION-plan9-$objtype-bootstrap.tbz
 BUILDPATH=work/go-plan9-$objtype-bootstrap
 BUILDCOMMAND=fortune /lib/rob
-INSTALLCOMMAND=/bin/rc -c '''mkdir -p /sys/lib/go/$objtype-$VERSION && dircp . /sys/lib/go/$objtype-$VERSION'''
+INSTALLCOMMAND=mkdir -p /sys/lib/go/$objtype-$VERSION && dircp . /sys/lib/go/$objtype-$VERSION
 CLEANCOMMAND=fortune /lib/ken
 UNINSTALLCOMMAND=rm -rf /sys/lib/go/$objtype-$VERSION
 MESSAGE='To use go, add this to your profile:' \
diff --git a/net-misc/netscan/mkfile b/net-misc/netscan/mkfile
--- a/net-misc/netscan/mkfile
+++ b/net-misc/netscan/mkfile
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ VERSION=0
 9PSERVER=9front
 9PFILE=/n/extra/netscan.c
 BUILDPATH=work/
-BUILDCOMMAND=/bin/rc -c '''s=netscan; $CC $s.c && $LD -o $O.$s $s.$O'''
-CLEANCOMMNAD=/bin/rc -c '''s=netscan; rm -f $O.$s $s.$O'''
-INSTALLCOMMAND=/bin/rc -c '''s=netscan; cp $O.$s /$objtype/bin/$s'''
+BUILDCOMMAND='s=netscan; $CC $s.c && $LD -o $O.$s $s.$O'
+CLEANCOMMAND='s=netscan; rm -f $O.$s $s.$O'
+INSTALLCOMMAND='s=netscan; cp $O.$s /$objtype/bin/$s'
 UNINSTALL=/$objtype/bin/netscan
 
 </sys/ports/Mk/mkfile
diff --git a/net-misc/vultr/mkfile b/net-misc/vultr/mkfile
--- a/net-misc/vultr/mkfile
+++ b/net-misc/vultr/mkfile
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ DEPS=dev-lang/go-19
 
 WEBSOURCE=https://github.com/JamesClonk/vultr/archive/$VERSION.tar.gz
 BUILDPATH=work/vultr-$VERSION
-BUILDCOMMAND=/bin/rc -c '''rfork ne; \
+BUILDCOMMAND='rfork ne; \
 	mkdir -p gopath/src/github.com/JamesClonk/vultr; \
 	bind . gopath/src/github.com/JamesClonk/vultr; \
-	GOPATH=`{pwd}^/gopath /bin/go build;'''
+	GOPATH=`{pwd}^/gopath /bin/go build;'
 CLEANCOMMAND=rm -r gopath
 INSTALLCOMMAND=cp vultr-$VERSION /$objtype/bin/vultr
 UNINSTALLCOMMAND=rm -f /$objtype/bin/vultr