diff --git a/bin/autojump.bash b/bin/autojump.bash
index 3451f49..88f7b21 100644
--- a/bin/autojump.bash
+++ b/bin/autojump.bash
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 # set user installation paths
-if [ -d ~/.autojump/ ]; then
+if [[ -d ~/.autojump/ ]]; then
     export PATH=~/.autojump/bin:"${PATH}"
 fi
 
 
+# set error file location
+if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]]; then
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH=~/Library/autojump/errors.log
+elif [[ -n "${XDG_DATA_HOME}" ]]; then
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH="${XDG_DATA_HOME}/autojump/errors.log"
+else
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH=~/.local/share/autojump/errors.log
+fi
+
+
 # enable tab completion
 _autojump() {
         local cur
@@ -20,7 +30,7 @@ complete -F _autojump j
 
 # change pwd hook
 autojump_add_to_database() {
-    (autojump -a "$(pwd)" &) &>/dev/null
+    (autojump --add "$(pwd)" >/dev/null 2>${AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH} &) &>/dev/null
 }
 
 case $PROMPT_COMMAND in
@@ -40,7 +50,7 @@ j() {
     fi
 
     new_path="$(autojump ${@})"
-    if [ -d "${new_path}" ]; then
+    if [[ -d "${new_path}" ]]; then
         echo -e "\\033[31m${new_path}\\033[0m"
         cd "${new_path}"
     else
@@ -69,7 +79,7 @@ jo() {
     fi
 
     new_path="$(autojump ${@})"
-    if [ -d "${new_path}" ]; then
+    if [[ -d "${new_path}" ]]; then
         case ${OSTYPE} in
             linux-gnu)
                 xdg-open "${new_path}"
diff --git a/bin/autojump.fish b/bin/autojump.fish
index f31f1df..118e1ca 100644
--- a/bin/autojump.fish
+++ b/bin/autojump.fish
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ end
 
 # misc helper functions
 function __aj_err
+    # TODO(ting|#247): set error file location
     echo $argv 1>&2; false
 end
 
diff --git a/bin/autojump.sh b/bin/autojump.sh
index 71bafd3..1d19202 100644
--- a/bin/autojump.sh
+++ b/bin/autojump.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # source autojump on BASH or ZSH depending on the shell
 
-shell=`echo ${SHELL} | awk -F/ '{ print $NF }'`
+shell=$(echo ${SHELL} | awk -F/ '{ print $NF }')
 
 # prevent circular loop for sh shells
 if [ "${shell}" = "sh" ]; then
diff --git a/bin/autojump.zsh b/bin/autojump.zsh
index 51a03a4..a522bee 100644
--- a/bin/autojump.zsh
+++ b/bin/autojump.zsh
@@ -1,22 +1,29 @@
 # set user installation paths
-if [[ -d ${HOME}/.autojump ]]; then
-    path=(${HOME}/.autojump/bin ${path})
-    fpath=(${HOME}/.autojump/functions/ ${fpath})
+if [[ -d ~/.autojump ]]; then
+    path=(~/.autojump/bin ${path})
+    fpath=(~/.autojump/functions/ ${fpath})
 fi
 
 
 # set homebrew installation paths
-command -v brew &>/dev/null \
-    && [[ -d "`brew --prefix`/share/zsh/site-functions" ]] \
-    && fpath=(`brew --prefix`/share/zsh/site-functions ${fpath})
+if command -v brew && [[ -d "$(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions" ]]; then
+    fpath=("$(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions" ${fpath})
+fi
 
 
-# tab completion handled by _j file
+# set error file location
+if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]]; then
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH=~/Library/autojump/errors.log
+elif [[ -n "${XDG_DATA_HOME}" ]]; then
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH="${XDG_DATA_HOME}/autojump/errors.log"
+else
+    export AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH=~/.local/share/autojump/errors.log
+fi
 
 
 # change pwd hook
 autojump_chpwd() {
-    (autojump -a "$(pwd)" &) &>/dev/null
+    autojump --add "$(pwd)" >/dev/null 2>${AUTOJUMP_ERROR_PATH} &!
 }
 
 typeset -gaU chpwd_functions
@@ -31,7 +38,7 @@ j() {
     fi
 
     local new_path="$(autojump ${@})"
-    if [ -d "${new_path}" ]; then
+    if [[ -d "${new_path}" ]]; then
         echo -e "\\033[31m${new_path}\\033[0m"
         cd "${new_path}"
     else
@@ -60,7 +67,7 @@ jo() {
     fi
 
     local new_path="$(autojump ${@})"
-    if [ -d "${new_path}" ]; then
+    if [[ -d "${new_path}" ]]; then
         case ${OSTYPE} in
             linux-gnu)
                 xdg-open "${new_path}"