diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.bash b/tests/test_shells/input.bash
index 7e503679..d224e6e7 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.bash
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.bash
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=
 source powerline/bindings/bash/powerline.sh
-POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 cd tests/shell/3rd
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.busybox b/tests/test_shells/input.busybox
index 803bd5c1..220d3b59 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.busybox
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.busybox
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 . powerline/bindings/shell/powerline.sh
-POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.dash b/tests/test_shells/input.dash
index 803bd5c1..220d3b59 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.dash
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.dash
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 . powerline/bindings/shell/powerline.sh
-POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.fish b/tests/test_shells/input.fish
index 9d819cfc..d1d9d62e 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.fish
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.fish
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ while jobs | grep fish_update_completions
 	sleep 1
 end
 powerline-setup
-set POWERLINE_COMMAND "$POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files"
 set POWERLINE_COMMAND "$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
 set POWERLINE_COMMAND "$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 setenv VIRTUAL_ENV
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.mksh b/tests/test_shells/input.mksh
index ae6bc326..2da58cee 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.mksh
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.mksh
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 . powerline/bindings/shell/powerline.sh
-POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
 POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.tcsh b/tests/test_shells/input.tcsh
index 297cff9c..a9d2cf30 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.tcsh
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.tcsh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 source powerline/bindings/tcsh/powerline.tcsh
-set POWERLINE_COMMAND=$POWERLINE_COMMAND:q" -p "$PWD:q/powerline/config_files" -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
+set POWERLINE_COMMAND=$POWERLINE_COMMAND:q" -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 unsetenv VIRTUAL_ENV
 cd tests/shell/3rd
 cd .git
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/input.zsh b/tests/test_shells/input.zsh
index 56bbfc49..b4fa6487 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/input.zsh
+++ b/tests/test_shells/input.zsh
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@ setopt interactivecomments
 # POWERLINE_CONFIG=( ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly )
 POWERLINE_NO_ZSH_ZPYTHON=1  # TODO: make tests work with zsh/zpython
 source powerline/bindings/zsh/powerline.zsh
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -p $PWD/powerline/config_files )
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false )
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly )
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default_leftonly.segment_data.hostname.args.only_if_ssh=false"
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -c ext.shell.theme=default_leftonly"
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=
 cd tests/shell/3rd
 cd .git
@@ -26,13 +25,13 @@ cd ../'(echo)'
 cd ../'$(echo)'
 cd ../'`echo`'
 cd ..
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND[1,4] ${${POWERLINE_COMMAND[5]}/_leftonly} ) ; bindkey -v
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="${POWERLINE_COMMAND//_leftonly}" ; bindkey -v
 
 
 echo abc
 false
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false )
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false )
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false"
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false"
 select abc in def ghi jkl
 do
 	echo $abc
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ do
 done
 1
 hash -d foo=$PWD:h ; cd .
-POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC )
+POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC"
 true
 true is the last line
 exit
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/test.sh b/tests/test_shells/test.sh
index 00479dcf..7511691b 100755
--- a/tests/test_shells/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test_shells/test.sh
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ run() {
 		IPYTHONDIR="$PWD/tests/shell/ipython_home" \
 		POWERLINE_SHELL_CONTINUATION=$additional_prompts \
 		POWERLINE_SHELL_SELECT=$additional_prompts \
-		POWERLINE_COMMAND="${POWERLINE_COMMAND}" \
+		POWERLINE_COMMAND="${POWERLINE_COMMAND} -p $PWD/powerline/config_files" \
 		"$@"
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/zsh.daemon.ok b/tests/test_shells/zsh.daemon.ok
index 2e5d05d9..d0259c4a 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/zsh.daemon.ok
+++ b/tests/test_shells/zsh.daemon.ok
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  (echo)  cd ../'$(echo)'
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  $(echo)  cd ../'`echo`'
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  `echo`  cd ..
-  HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND[1,4] ${${POWERLINE_COMMAND[5]}/_leftonly} ) ; bindkey -v
+  HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="${POWERLINE_COMMAND//_leftonly}" ; bindkey -v
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd   COMMND   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  echo abc
 abc
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  false
- INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false )
- INSERT  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false )
+ INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false"
+ INSERT  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false"
  INSERT  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  select abc in def ghi jkl
  select                            do
  select                                echo $abc
@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@ abc
                    Select variant  1
 def
  INSERT  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  hash -d foo=$PWD:h ; cd .
- INSERT  ~foo  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC )
+ INSERT  ~foo  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC"
  INSERT $ABC~foo  3rd $ABCtrue
diff --git a/tests/test_shells/zsh.nodaemon.ok b/tests/test_shells/zsh.nodaemon.ok
index 27a734a3..f3edbcdc 100644
--- a/tests/test_shells/zsh.nodaemon.ok
+++ b/tests/test_shells/zsh.nodaemon.ok
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  (echo)  cd ../'$(echo)'
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  $(echo)  cd ../'`echo`'
   HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  shell  3rd  `echo`  cd ..
-  HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND[1,4] ${${POWERLINE_COMMAND[5]}/_leftonly} ) ; bindkey -v
+  HOSTNAME  USER   BRANCH  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="${POWERLINE_COMMAND//_leftonly}" ; bindkey -v
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd   COMMND   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  echo abc
 abc
  INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  false
- INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false )
- INSERT  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false )
+ INSERT   HOSTNAME  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.hostname.display=false"
+ INSERT  USER  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.segment_data.user.display=false"
  INSERT  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  select abc in def ghi jkl
  select  do
  select        echo $abc
@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@ abc
  Select variant  1
 def
  INSERT  ⋯  tests  shell  3rd  hash -d foo=$PWD:h ; cd .
- INSERT  ~foo  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND=( $POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC )
+ INSERT  ~foo  3rd  POWERLINE_COMMAND="$POWERLINE_COMMAND -t default.dividers.left.hard=\$ABC"
  INSERT $ABC~foo  3rd $ABCtrue