diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/bsdconfig b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/bsdconfig
index 993865cacc8c..2ecdb30bc5a9 100755
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/bsdconfig
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/bsdconfig
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ dialog_menu_main()
 		 *) menu_program="$menuitem/$menu_program"
 		esac
 
-		tag=$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )
+		f_substr -v tag "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
 		setvar "menu_program$tag" "$menu_program"
 
 		f_shell_escape "$menu_title" menu_title
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ dialog_menu_main()
 		 *) menu_program="$BSDCFG_LOCAL_LIBE/$menuitem/$menu_program"
 		esac
 
-		tag=$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )
+		f_substr -v tag "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
 		setvar "menu_program$tag" "$menu_program"
 
 		f_shell_escape "$menu_title" menu_title
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/media.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/media.subr
index 1cb77f802948..028944b5eb6b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/media.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/media.subr
@@ -180,18 +180,18 @@ f_dialog_menu_media_options()
 		f_ifconfig_media $interface | \
 		( index=1
 
-		  echo "'$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )'"
-		  echo "'$opt_none'" 
+		  f_substr -v tagn "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
+		  echo "'$tagn' '$opt_none'"
 		  index=$(( $index + 1 ))
 
-		  echo "'$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )'"
-		  echo "'$opt_cust'" 
+		  f_substr -v tagn "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
+		  echo "'$tagn' '$opt_cust'"
 		  index=$(( $index + 1 ))
 
 		  while read media_options; do
 		  	[ $index -lt ${#DIALOG_MENU_TAGS} ] || break
-		  	echo "'$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )'"
-		  	echo "'$media_options'"
+		  	f_substr -v tagn "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
+		  	echo "'$tagn' '$media_options'"
 		  	index=$(( $index + 1 ))
 		  done
 		)
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/resolv.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/resolv.subr
index fc42e1265c9c..779863c9981d 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/resolv.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/networking/share/resolv.subr
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ f_dialog_menu_nameservers()
 
 			for ns in $nameservers; do
 				[ $index -lt ${#DIALOG_MENU_TAGS} ] || break
-				tag=$( f_substr "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1 )
+				f_substr -v tag "$DIALOG_MENU_TAGS" $index 1
 				echo "'$tag nameserver' '$ns'"
 				index=$(( $index + 1 ))
 			done