diff --git a/plugins/z/z.sh b/plugins/z/z.sh
index 5fe6d5266..5c5771d62 100644
--- a/plugins/z/z.sh
+++ b/plugins/z/z.sh
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ _z() {
         if [ $? -ne 0 -a -f "$datafile" ]; then
             env rm -f "$tempfile"
         else
-            [ "$_Z_OWNER" ] && chown $_Z_OWNER:$(id -ng $_Z_OWNER) "$tempfile"
+            [ "$_Z_OWNER" ] && chown $_Z_OWNER:"$(id -ng $_Z_OWNER)" "$tempfile"
             env mv -f "$tempfile" "$datafile" || env rm -f "$tempfile"
         fi
 
@@ -110,20 +110,21 @@ _z() {
 
     else
         # list/go
+        local echo fnd last list opt typ
         while [ "$1" ]; do case "$1" in
-            --) while [ "$1" ]; do shift; local fnd="$fnd${fnd:+ }$1";done;;
-            -*) local opt=${1:1}; while [ "$opt" ]; do case ${opt:0:1} in
-                    c) local fnd="^$PWD $fnd";;
-                    e) local echo=1;;
+            --) while [ "$1" ]; do shift; fnd="$fnd${fnd:+ }$1";done;;
+            -*) opt=${1:1}; while [ "$opt" ]; do case ${opt:0:1} in
+                    c) fnd="^$PWD $fnd";;
+                    e) echo=1;;
                     h) echo "${_Z_CMD:-z} [-cehlrtx] args" >&2; return;;
-                    l) local list=1;;
-                    r) local typ="rank";;
-                    t) local typ="recent";;
+                    l) list=1;;
+                    r) typ="rank";;
+                    t) typ="recent";;
                     x) sed -i -e "\:^${PWD}|.*:d" "$datafile";;
                 esac; opt=${opt:1}; done;;
-             *) local fnd="$fnd${fnd:+ }$1";;
-        esac; local last=$1; [ "$#" -gt 0 ] && shift; done
-        [ "$fnd" -a "$fnd" != "^$PWD " ] || local list=1
+             *) fnd="$fnd${fnd:+ }$1";;
+        esac; last=$1; [ "$#" -gt 0 ] && shift; done
+        [ "$fnd" -a "$fnd" != "^$PWD " ] || list=1
 
         # if we hit enter on a completion just go there
         case "$last" in
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ _z() {
             function output(matches, best_match, common) {
                 # list or return the desired directory
                 if( list ) {
-                    cmd = "sort -n >&2"
+                    cmd = "sort -g >&2"
                     for( x in matches ) {
                         if( matches[x] ) {
                             printf "%-10s %s\n", matches[x], x | cmd