diff --git a/contrib/hooks/post_encrypt b/contrib/hooks/post_encrypt
index 7ffce13..bc4cbf6 100755
--- a/contrib/hooks/post_encrypt
+++ b/contrib/hooks/post_encrypt
@@ -31,21 +31,21 @@ IFS="$OLD_IFS"
 function get_checksum_command {
     # check if "shasum" exists and supports the algorithm (which is
     # tested by sending an empty string to "shasum")
-    if command -v "shasum" > /dev/null && echo -n | shasum --algorithm "256" &> /dev/null; then
-        echo "shasum --algorithm 256"
+    if command -v "shasum" > /dev/null && printf "" | shasum --algorithm "256" &> /dev/null; then
+        printf "shasum --algorithm 256"
     # check if "sha256sum" exists
     elif command -v "sha256sum" > /dev/null; then
-        echo "sha256sum"
+        printf "sha256sum"
     # check if "gsha256sum" exists
     elif command -v "gsha256sum" > /dev/null; then
-        echo "gsha256sum"
+        printf "gsha256sum"
     else
         # display warning in bright yellow
-        echo -e "\033[1;33m" >&2
-        echo -n "WARNING: \"shasum\", \"sha256sum\" and \"gsha256sum\" not found.   $WARNING_MESSAGE." >&2
+        printf "\033[1;33m" >&2
+        printf "\nWARNING: \"shasum\", \"sha256sum\" and \"gsha256sum\" not found.   %s\n" "$WARNING_MESSAGE." >&2
 
         # reset output color
-        echo -e "\033[0m" >&2
+        printf "\033[0m" >&2
 
         # signal error
         return 1
@@ -63,28 +63,28 @@ if (($?)); then
 fi
 
 # empty (or create) checksum file
-echo -n > "$YADM_CHECKSUMS"
+true > "$YADM_CHECKSUMS"
 
 # calculate checksums for encrypted files
 for included in "${YADM_ENCRYPT_INCLUDE_FILES[@]}"; do
     # highlight any errors in red
-    echo -en "\033[0;31m"
+    printf "\033[0;31m"
 
     # calculate checksums
     $CHECKSUM_COMMAND "$included" >> "$YADM_CHECKSUMS"
     ERROR_CODE=$?
 
     # reset output color
-    echo -ne "\033[0m"
+    printf "\033[0m"
 
     # handle errors
     if (($ERROR_CODE)); then
         # display warning in bright yellow
-        echo -e "\033[1;33m" >&2
-        echo -n "WARNING: an error occurred.  Please inspect the checksum file." >&2
+        printf "\033[1;33m" >&2
+        printf "\nWARNING: an error occurred.  Please inspect the checksum file.\n" >&2
 
         # reset output color
-        echo -e "\033[0m" >&2
+        printf "\033[0m" >&2
 
         # exit and signal error
         exit $ERROR_CODE
@@ -92,5 +92,5 @@ for included in "${YADM_ENCRYPT_INCLUDE_FILES[@]}"; do
 done
 
 # announce success and return original exit status of yadm command
-echo "Wrote SHA-256 checksums: $YADM_CHECKSUMS"
+printf "Wrote SHA-256 checksums: %s\n" "$YADM_CHECKSUMS"
 exit "$YADM_HOOK_EXIT"
diff --git a/contrib/hooks/post_list b/contrib/hooks/post_list
index 6c6acf0..b95acc2 100755
--- a/contrib/hooks/post_list
+++ b/contrib/hooks/post_list
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ while IFS= read -r filename; do
         REL_PATH=$(relative_path "$PWD" "$YADM_HOOK_WORK/$filename")
 
         if [ "$REL_PATH" = "${REL_PATH##../}" ]; then
-            echo "$REL_PATH"
+            printf "%s\n" "$REL_PATH"
         fi
     # list all files
     else
-        echo "$filename"
+        printf "%s\n" "$filename"
     fi
 done < "$YADM_CHECKSUMS"
 
diff --git a/contrib/hooks/post_status b/contrib/hooks/post_status
index 137af04..3dd0465 100755
--- a/contrib/hooks/post_status
+++ b/contrib/hooks/post_status
@@ -31,21 +31,21 @@ IFS="$OLD_IFS"
 function get_checksum_command {
     # check if "shasum" exists and supports the algorithm (which is
     # tested by sending an empty string to "shasum")
-    if command -v "shasum" > /dev/null && echo -n | shasum --algorithm "256" &> /dev/null; then
-        echo "shasum --algorithm 256"
+    if command -v "shasum" > /dev/null && printf "" | shasum --algorithm "256" &> /dev/null; then
+        printf "shasum --algorithm 256"
     # check if "sha256sum" exists
     elif command -v "sha256sum" > /dev/null; then
-        echo "sha256sum"
+        printf "sha256sum"
     # check if "gsha256sum" exists
     elif command -v "gsha256sum" > /dev/null; then
-        echo "gsha256sum"
+        printf "gsha256sum"
     else
         # display warning in bright yellow
-        echo -e "\033[1;33m" >&2
-        echo -n "WARNING: \"shasum\", \"sha256sum\" and \"gsha256sum\" not found.   $WARNING_MESSAGE." >&2
+        printf "\033[1;33m" >&2
+        printf "\nWARNING: \"shasum\", \"sha256sum\" and \"gsha256sum\" not found.   %s\n" "$WARNING_MESSAGE." >&2
 
         # reset output color
-        echo -e "\033[0m" >&2
+        printf "\033[0m" >&2
 
         # signal error
         return 1
@@ -75,11 +75,10 @@ ERROR_CODE=$?
 
 # handle mismatched checksums and errors
 if (($ERROR_CODE)); then
-    echo
-    echo "Some SHA-256 sums do not match (or an error occurred):"
+    printf "\nSome SHA-256 sums do not match (or an error occurred):\n\n"
 
     # display differing files and errors (highlighted in red)
-    echo -e "\033[0;31m"
+    printf "\033[0;31m"
 
     while IFS= read -r line; do
         # beautify output and get rid of unnecessary lines
@@ -88,14 +87,14 @@ if (($ERROR_CODE)); then
         line="${line##*WARNING:*did NOT match}"
 
         if [ -n "$line" ]; then
-            echo "$line"
+            printf "%s\n" "$line"
         fi
     done <<< "$YADM_CHECKSUM_OUTPUT"
 
     # reset output color
-    echo -e "\033[0m"
+    printf "\033[0m"
 
     # display advice for differing files and signal error
-    echo "Consider running either \"yadm encrypt\" or \"yadm decrypt\"."
+    printf "\nConsider running either \"yadm encrypt\" or \"yadm decrypt\".\n"
     exit $ERROR_CODE
 fi