diff --git a/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_cores b/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_cores
index 7f7a955e..2f676f7a 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_cores
+++ b/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_cores
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 os=$("$__explorer/os")
 case "$os" in
     "macosx")
-        echo "$(sysctl -n hw.physicalcpu)"
+        sysctl -n hw.physicalcpu
     ;;
 
     *)
diff --git a/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_sockets b/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_sockets
index 8a8194df..903cc743 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_sockets
+++ b/cdist/conf/explorer/cpu_sockets
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 os=$("$__explorer/os")
 case "$os" in
     "macosx")
-        echo "$(system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | grep "Number of Processors" | awk -F': ' '{print $2}')"
+        system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | grep "Number of Processors" | awk -F': ' '{print $2}'
     ;;
 
     *)
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/all_repo_ids b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/all_repo_ids
index b37d8ac5..dde6d554 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/all_repo_ids
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/all_repo_ids
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@
 # Retrieve all repo id nummbers - parsed zypper output
 #
 #
-echo $(zypper lr | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
+zypper lr | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]'
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/enabled_repo_ids b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/enabled_repo_ids
index 2dfb946f..b011c258 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/enabled_repo_ids
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/enabled_repo_ids
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@
 #
 # simpler command which works only on SLES11 SP3 or newer:
 # echo $(zypper lr -E | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
-echo $(zypper lr |  grep -E '^[0-9]([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1)
+zypper lr |  grep -E '^[0-9]([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/repo_id b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/repo_id
index 6a4791e6..114c6fe7 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/repo_id
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_repo/explorer/repo_id
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ if [ -f "$__object/parameter/uri" ]; then
 else
    uri="$__object_id"
 fi
-echo $(zypper lr -u | grep -F "$uri" | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]' )
+zypper lr -u | grep -F "$uri" | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]'
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/repo_ids b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/repo_ids
index e831b76c..787e9869 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/repo_ids
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/repo_ids
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@
 # simpler command which works only on SLES11 SP3 or newer:
 # echo $(zypper lr -u -E | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
 # on older systems, zypper doesn't know the parameter -E 
-echo $(zypper lr -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
+zypper lr -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]'
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_id b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_id
index bf5f0260..91858d84 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_id
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_id
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ else
 fi
 # simpler command which works only on SLES11 SP3 or newer:
 # echo $(zypper ls -u -E | grep -E "\<$uri\>" | cut -d'|' -f 1 )
-echo $(zypper ls -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | grep -E "\<$uri\>" | cut -d'|' -f 1 )
+zypper ls -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | grep -E "\<$uri\>" | cut -d'|' -f 1
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_ids b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_ids
index 0f1f4186..6491ab90 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_ids
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_ids
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@
 #
 # simpler command which works only on SLES11 SP3 or newer:
 # echo $(zypper ls -u -E | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
-echo $(zypper ls -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]')
+zypper ls -u | grep -E '^([^|]+\|){3,3} Yes' | cut -d'|' -f 1 | grep -E '^[0-9]'
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_uri b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_uri
index 6eee47fb..b8de0dcd 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_uri
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__zypper_service/explorer/service_uri
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ if [ -f "$__object/parameter/uri" ]; then
 else
    uri="/$__object_id"
 fi
-echo $(zypper ls -u | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "[ ]+\\|[ ]+" } ; $4 == "Yes" && $NF == "'$uri'" {print $NF}')
+zypper ls -u | awk 'BEGIN { FS = "[ ]+\\|[ ]+" } ; $4 == "Yes" && $NF == "'$uri'" {print $NF}'