diff --git a/bin/cdist-deploy-to b/bin/cdist-deploy-to
index 7524e779..553e56c0 100755
--- a/bin/cdist-deploy-to
+++ b/bin/cdist-deploy-to
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ set -eu
 __cdist_target_host="$1"
 
 # Make target host available for non-core
-export $__cdist_name_var_target_host=\"\$__cdist_target_host\"
+export $__cdist_name_var_target_host="$__cdist_target_host"
 
 ################################################################################
 # See cdist-stages(7)
diff --git a/bin/cdist-manifest-run b/bin/cdist-manifest-run
index 367ac96f..8f682b72 100755
--- a/bin/cdist-manifest-run
+++ b/bin/cdist-manifest-run
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 . cdist-config
 [ $# -ge 3 ] || __cdist_usage "<target host> <manifest> <out dir> [manifest arguments]"
-set -u
+set -ux
 
 __cdist_target_host="$1"; shift
 __cdist_manifest="$1"; shift
diff --git a/bin/cdist-remote-explorer-run b/bin/cdist-remote-explorer-run
index 1be2afd1..50d5357e 100755
--- a/bin/cdist-remote-explorer-run
+++ b/bin/cdist-remote-explorer-run
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ __cdist_my_out_dir="$1"; shift
 __cdist_work_dir="$__cdist_remote_base_dir"
 
 # Setup environment
-eval export $__cdist_variable_name=\"$__cdist_explorer_dir\"
+export $__cdist_variable_name="$__cdist_explorer_dir"
 cd "${__cdist_work_dir}"
 mkdir -p "$__cdist_my_out_dir"
 
diff --git a/conf/manifests/init b/conf/manifests/init
index 20714bad..f28f293e 100755
--- a/conf/manifests/init
+++ b/conf/manifests/init
@@ -2,12 +2,18 @@
 # This is a sample manifest, but used in real world
 #
 
+# This is debug and should not be in a production environment
+echo "Running initial manifest for $__target_host"
+echo "We could access other manifests in $__manifests"
+
+set -x
+
 # All systems get a file /etc/cdist-managed, so the sysadmin knows
 # who manages the configuration.
 #__file /etc/cdist-managed --type file
 
 # All ikqs get a sample file
-case "$__cdist_target_host" in
+case "$__target_host" in
    localhost)
       __issue iddoesnotmatterhere
       __file test --type file --destination /tmp/cdist-testfile