diff --git a/shell/key-bindings.fish b/shell/key-bindings.fish
index 11686b1..f209578 100644
--- a/shell/key-bindings.fish
+++ b/shell/key-bindings.fish
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ function fzf_key_bindings
 
     test -n "$FZF_TMUX_HEIGHT"; or set FZF_TMUX_HEIGHT 40%
     begin
-      set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS (__fzf_defaults "--reverse --walker=file,dir,follow,hidden --scheme=path --walker-root='$dir'" "$FZF_CTRL_T_OPTS")
+      set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS (__fzf_defaults "--reverse --walker=file,dir,follow,hidden --scheme=path --walker-root=$dir" "$FZF_CTRL_T_OPTS")
       set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND "$FZF_CTRL_T_COMMAND"
       set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS_FILE ''
-      eval (__fzfcmd)' -m --query "'$fzf_query'"' | while read -l r; set result $result $r; end
+      eval (__fzfcmd) -m --query=$fzf_query | while read -l r; set -a result $r; end
     end
     if [ -z "$result" ]
       commandline -f repaint
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@ function fzf_key_bindings
 
     test -n "$FZF_TMUX_HEIGHT"; or set FZF_TMUX_HEIGHT 40%
     begin
-      set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS (__fzf_defaults "--reverse --walker=dir,follow,hidden --scheme=path --walker-root='$dir'" "$FZF_ALT_C_OPTS")
+      set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS (__fzf_defaults "--reverse --walker=dir,follow,hidden --scheme=path --walker-root=$dir" "$FZF_ALT_C_OPTS")
       set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS_FILE ''
       set -lx FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND "$FZF_ALT_C_COMMAND"
-      eval (__fzfcmd)' +m --query "'$fzf_query'"' | read -l result
+      eval (__fzfcmd) +m --query=$fzf_query | read -l result
 
       if [ -n "$result" ]
         cd -- $result
@@ -152,9 +152,18 @@ function fzf_key_bindings
     set -l prefix (string match -r -- '^-[^\s=]+=' $commandline)
     set commandline (string replace -- "$prefix" '' $commandline)
 
+    # escape special characters, except for the $ sign of valid variable names,
+    # so that after eval, the original string is returned, but with the
+    # variable names replaced by their values.
+    set commandline (string escape -n -- $commandline)
+    set commandline (string replace -r -a '\x5c\$(?=[\w])' '\$' -- $commandline)
+
     # eval is used to do shell expansion on paths
     eval set commandline $commandline
 
+    # Combine multiple consecutive slashes into one
+    set commandline (string replace -r -a '/+' '/' -- $commandline)
+
     if [ -z $commandline ]
       # Default to current directory with no --query
       set dir '.'
@@ -162,27 +171,28 @@ function fzf_key_bindings
     else
       set dir (__fzf_get_dir $commandline)
 
-      if [ "$dir" = "." -a (string sub -l 1 -- $commandline) != '.' ]
+      # BUG: on combined expressions, if a left argument is a single `!`, the
+      # builtin test command of fish will treat it as the ! operator. To
+      # overcome this, have the variable parts on the right.
+      if test "." = "$dir" -a "." != (string sub -l 1 -- $commandline)
         # if $dir is "." but commandline is not a relative path, this means no file path found
         set fzf_query $commandline
       else
         # Also remove trailing slash after dir, to "split" input properly
-        set fzf_query (string replace -r "^$dir/?" -- '' "$commandline")
+        set fzf_query (string replace -r "^$dir/?" '' -- $commandline)
       end
     end
 
-    echo $dir
-    echo $fzf_query
+    echo (string escape -- $dir)
+    echo (string escape -- $fzf_query)
     echo $prefix
   end
 
   function __fzf_get_dir -d 'Find the longest existing filepath from input string'
     set dir $argv
 
-    # Strip all trailing slashes. Ignore if $dir is root dir (/)
-    if [ (string length -- $dir) -gt 1 ]
-      set dir (string replace -r '/*$' -- '' $dir)
-    end
+    # Strip trailing slash, unless $dir is root dir (/)
+    set dir (string replace -r '(?<!^)/$' '' -- $dir)
 
     # Iteratively check if dir exists and strip tail end of path
     while [ ! -d "$dir" ]