diff --git a/complete.c b/complete.c
index 48ec50ceb..f1e409909 100644
--- a/complete.c
+++ b/complete.c
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ static void copy_strings_with_prefix( array_list_t *comp_out,
 	wchar_t *wc, *tmp;
 
 	tmp = expand_one( 0,
-					  wcsdup(wc_escaped), EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS);
+					  wcsdup(wc_escaped), EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS);
 	if(!tmp)
 		return;
 
@@ -1786,14 +1786,14 @@ static void complete_param_expand( wchar_t *str,
 	}
 	/*
 	debug( 3,
-		   L"expand_string( \"%ls\", comp_out, EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | ACCEPT_INCOMPLETE | %ls );",
+		   L"expand_string( \"%ls\", comp_out, EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | ACCEPT_INCOMPLETE | %ls );",
 		   comp_str,
 		   do_file?L"0":L"EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS" );
 	*/
 	expand_string( 0, 
 				   wcsdup(comp_str),
 				   comp_out,
-				   EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | ACCEPT_INCOMPLETE | (do_file?0:EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS) );
+				   EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | ACCEPT_INCOMPLETE | (do_file?0:EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS) );
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/expand.c b/expand.c
index 21bfe0e23..785a7c9b4 100644
--- a/expand.c
+++ b/expand.c
@@ -1184,9 +1184,9 @@ static int expand_brackets( wchar_t *in, int flags, array_list_t *out )
 }
 
 /**
-   Perform subshell expansion
+   Perform cmdsubst expansion
 */
-static int expand_subshell( wchar_t *in, array_list_t *out )
+static int expand_cmdsubst( wchar_t *in, array_list_t *out )
 {
 	wchar_t *paran_begin=0, *paran_end=0;
 	int len1, len2;
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ static int expand_subshell( wchar_t *in, array_list_t *out )
 	}
 
 	al_init( &tail_expand );
-	expand_subshell( wcsdup(paran_end+1), &tail_expand );
+	expand_cmdsubst( wcsdup(paran_end+1), &tail_expand );
 
     for( i=0; i<al_get_count( &sub_res ); i++ )
     {
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@ int expand_string( void *context,
 	array_list_t *in, *out;
 
 	int i;
-	int subshell_ok = 1;
+	int cmdsubst_ok = 1;
 	int res = EXPAND_OK;
 	int start_count = al_get_count( end_out );
 
@@ -1451,7 +1451,7 @@ int expand_string( void *context,
 	al_init( &list1 );
 	al_init( &list2 );
 
-	if( EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL & flags )
+	if( EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST & flags )
 	{
 		wchar_t *begin, *end;
 		
@@ -1460,7 +1460,7 @@ int expand_string( void *context,
 										&end,
 										1 ) != 0 )
 		{
-			error( SUBSHELL_ERROR, -1, L"Subshells not allowed" );
+			error( CMDSUBST_ERROR, -1, L"Command substitutions not allowed" );
 			free( str );
 			al_destroy( &list1 );
 			al_destroy( &list2 );
@@ -1470,10 +1470,10 @@ int expand_string( void *context,
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		subshell_ok = expand_subshell( str, &list1 );
+		cmdsubst_ok = expand_cmdsubst( str, &list1 );
 	}
 
-	if( !subshell_ok )
+	if( !cmdsubst_ok )
 	{
 		al_destroy( &list1 );
 		return EXPAND_ERROR;
diff --git a/expand.h b/expand.h
index 820f5f804..9fb6c240b 100644
--- a/expand.h
+++ b/expand.h
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 #include "util.h"
 
 /**
-   Flag specifying that subshell expansion should be skipped
+   Flag specifying that cmdsubst expansion should be skipped
 */
-#define EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL 1
+#define EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST 1
 
 /**
    Flag specifying that variable expansion should be skipped
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ enum
    Perform various forms of expansion on in, such as tilde expansion
    (\~USER becomes the users home directory), variable expansion
    (\$VAR_NAME becomes the value of the environment variable VAR_NAME),
-   subshell expansion and wildcard expansion. The results are inserted
+   cmdsubst expansion and wildcard expansion. The results are inserted
    into the list out.
    
    If the parameter does not need expansion, it is copied into the list
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ enum
  
    \param context the halloc context to use for automatic deallocation
    \param in The parameter to expand
-   \param flag Specifies if any expansion pass should be skipped. Legal values are any combination of EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES and EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS
+   \param flag Specifies if any expansion pass should be skipped. Legal values are any combination of EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES and EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS
    \param out The list to which the result will be appended.
    \return One of EXPAND_OK, EXPAND_ERROR, EXPAND_WILDCARD_MATCH and EXPAND_WILDCARD_NO_MATCH. EXPAND_WILDCARD_NO_MATCH and EXPAND_WILDCARD_MATCH are normal exit conditions used only on strings containing wildcards to tell if the wildcard produced any matches.
 */
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ int expand_string( void *context, wchar_t *in, array_list_t *out, int flag );
  
    \param context the halloc context to use for automatic deallocation   
    \param in The parameter to expand
-   \param flag Specifies if any expansion pass should be skipped. Legal values are any combination of EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES and EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS
+   \param flag Specifies if any expansion pass should be skipped. Legal values are any combination of EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES and EXPAND_SKIP_WILDCARDS
    \return The expanded parameter, or 0 on failiure
 */
 wchar_t *expand_one( void *context, wchar_t *in, int flag );
diff --git a/highlight.c b/highlight.c
index ccffb7db7..e6712a90d 100644
--- a/highlight.c
+++ b/highlight.c
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ void highlight_shell( wchar_t * buff,
 					{
 						wchar_t *dir = expand_one( context, 
 												   wcsdup(tok_last( &tok )),
-												   EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL );
+												   EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST );
 						if( dir )
 						{
 							if( !parser_cdpath_get( context, dir ) )
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ void highlight_shell( wchar_t * buff,
 					*/
 					cmd = expand_one( context, 
 									  wcsdup(tok_last( &tok )),
-									  EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES);
+									  EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES);
 					
 					if( cmd == 0 )
 					{
@@ -729,9 +729,9 @@ void highlight_shell( wchar_t * buff,
 				{
 					case TOK_STRING:
 					{
-						target = expand_one( context, wcsdup( tok_last( &tok ) ), EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL);
+						target = expand_one( context, wcsdup( tok_last( &tok ) ), EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST);
 						/*
-						  Redirect filename may contain a subshell. 
+						  Redirect filename may contain a cmdsubst. 
 						  If so, it will be ignored/not flagged.
 						*/
 					}
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ void highlight_shell( wchar_t * buff,
 	tok_destroy( &tok );	
 			 
 	/*
-	  Locate and syntax highlight subshells recursively
+	  Locate and syntax highlight cmdsubsts recursively
 	*/
 
 	wchar_t *buffcpy = halloc_wcsdup( context, buff );
diff --git a/parser.c b/parser.c
index e7c936454..a237d6932 100644
--- a/parser.c
+++ b/parser.c
@@ -1863,7 +1863,7 @@ static int parse_job( process_t *p,
 			{
 				nxt = expand_one( j,
 								  wcsdup(tok_last( tok )),
-								  EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES);
+								  EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES);
 				
 				if( nxt == 0 )
 				{
@@ -2747,7 +2747,7 @@ static int parser_get_block_type( const wchar_t *cmd )
 }
 
 /**
-   \return the block type created by the specified builtin, or -1 on error.
+   \return the block command that createa the specified block type, or null on error.
 */
 static const wchar_t *parser_get_block_command( int type )
 {
@@ -2800,7 +2800,7 @@ static int parser_test_argument( const wchar_t *arg, string_buffer_t *out, const
 				}
 				free( arg_cpy );
 				return 1;
-								
+				
 			case 0:
 				do_loop = 0;
 				break;
@@ -3034,7 +3034,7 @@ int parser_test( const  wchar_t * buff,
 					
 					if( !(cmd = expand_one( context, 
 											wcsdup( tok_last( &tok ) ), 
-											EXPAND_SKIP_SUBSHELL | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES ) ) )
+											EXPAND_SKIP_CMDSUBST | EXPAND_SKIP_VARIABLES ) ) )
 					{
 						err=1;
 						if( out )
diff --git a/parser.h b/parser.h
index e82a6e7f9..a41f4eba1 100644
--- a/parser.h
+++ b/parser.h
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ enum parser_error
 	*/
 	EVAL_ERROR,
 	/**
-	   Error while evaluating subshell
+	   Error while evaluating cmdsubst
 	*/
-	SUBSHELL_ERROR,
+	CMDSUBST_ERROR,
 }
 ;
 
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ wchar_t *parser_get_filename( void *context, const wchar_t *cmd );
 int eval( const wchar_t *cmd, io_data_t *io, int block_type );
 
 /**
-  Evaluate line as a list of parameters, i.e. tokenize it and perform parameter expansion and subshell execution on the tokens.
+  Evaluate line as a list of parameters, i.e. tokenize it and perform parameter expansion and cmdsubst execution on the tokens.
   The output is inserted into output, and should be freed by the caller.
 
   \param line Line to evaluate