diff --git a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-common.sh b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-common.sh
index 76ad0f8c76..c9c5d41da0 100644
--- a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-common.sh
+++ b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-common.sh
@@ -69,16 +69,16 @@ esac
 if [ "$type_if" = vif ]; then
     # Check presence of compulsory args.
     XENBUS_PATH="${XENBUS_PATH:?}"
-    vif="${vif:?}"
+    dev="${dev:?}"
 
     vifname=$(xenstore_read_default "$XENBUS_PATH/vifname" "")
     if [ "$vifname" ]
     then
         if [ "$command" == "online" ] && ! ip link show "$vifname" >&/dev/null
         then
-            do_or_die ip link set "$vif" name "$vifname"
+            do_or_die ip link set "$dev" name "$vifname"
         fi
-        vif="$vifname"
+        dev="$vifname"
     fi
 elif [ "$type_if" = tap ]; then
     # Check presence of compulsory args.
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@ frob_iptable()
     local c="-D"
   fi
 
-  iptables "$c" FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged --physdev-in "$vif" \
+  iptables "$c" FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged --physdev-in "$dev" \
     "$@" -j ACCEPT 2>/dev/null &&
-  iptables "$c" FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged --physdev-out "$vif" \
+  iptables "$c" FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged --physdev-out "$dev" \
     -j ACCEPT 2>/dev/null
 
   if [ "$command" == "online" -a $? -ne 0 ]
diff --git a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-nat b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-nat
index 74743ed761..9082cc96bb 100644
--- a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-nat
+++ b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-nat
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # vif-nat (add|remove|online|offline)
 #
 # Environment vars:
-# vif         vif interface name (required).
+# dev         vif interface name (required).
 # XENBUS_PATH path to this device's details in the XenStore (required).
 #
 # Parameters:
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ fi
 dhcparg_remove_entry()
 {
   local tmpfile=$(mktemp)
-  sed -e "s/$vif //" "$dhcpd_arg_file" >"$tmpfile"
+  sed -e "s/${dev} //" "$dhcpd_arg_file" >"$tmpfile"
   if diff "$tmpfile" "$dhcpd_arg_file" >/dev/null
   then
     rm "$tmpfile"
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ dhcparg_add_entry()
   dhcparg_remove_entry
   local tmpfile=$(mktemp)
   # handle Red Hat, SUSE, and Debian styles, with or without quotes
-  sed -e 's/^DHCPDARGS="*\([^"]*\)"*/DHCPDARGS="\1'"$vif "'"/' \
+  sed -e 's/^DHCPDARGS="*\([^"]*\)"*/DHCPDARGS="\1'"${dev} "'"/' \
      "$dhcpd_arg_file" >"$tmpfile" && mv "$tmpfile" "$dhcpd_arg_file"
-  sed -e 's/^DHCPD_INTERFACE="*\([^"]*\)"*/DHCPD_INTERFACE="\1'"$vif "'"/' \
+  sed -e 's/^DHCPD_INTERFACE="*\([^"]*\)"*/DHCPD_INTERFACE="\1'"${dev} "'"/' \
      "$dhcpd_arg_file" >"$tmpfile" && mv "$tmpfile" "$dhcpd_arg_file"
-  sed -e 's/^INTERFACES="*\([^"]*\)"*/INTERFACES="\1'"$vif "'"/' \
+  sed -e 's/^INTERFACES="*\([^"]*\)"*/INTERFACES="\1'"${dev} "'"/' \
      "$dhcpd_arg_file" >"$tmpfile" && mv "$tmpfile" "$dhcpd_arg_file"
   rm -f "$tmpfile"
 }
@@ -164,28 +164,28 @@ dhcp_down()
 
 case "$command" in
     online)
-        if ip route | grep -q "dev $vif"
+        if ip route | grep -q "dev ${dev}"
         then
-          log debug "$vif already up"
+          log debug "${dev} already up"
           exit 0
         fi
 
-        do_or_die ip link set "$vif" up arp on
-        do_or_die ip addr add "$router_ip" dev "$vif"
-        do_or_die ip route add "$vif_ip" dev "$vif" src "$router_ip"
-        echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/${vif}/proxy_arp
+        do_or_die ip link set "${dev}" up arp on
+        do_or_die ip addr add "$router_ip" dev "${dev}"
+        do_or_die ip route add "$vif_ip" dev "${dev}" src "$router_ip"
+        echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/${dev}/proxy_arp
         [ "$dhcp" != 'no' ] && dhcp_up
         ;;
     offline)
         [ "$dhcp" != 'no' ] && dhcp_down
-        do_without_error ifconfig "$vif" down
+        do_without_error ifconfig "${dev}" down
         ;;
 esac
 
 
 handle_iptable
 
-log debug "Successful vif-nat $command for $vif."
+log debug "Successful vif-nat $command for ${dev}."
 if [ "$command" = "online" ]
 then
   success
diff --git a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-route b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-route
index 0cacfcb99e..6c5587afd5 100644
--- a/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-route
+++ b/tools/hotplug/Linux/vif-route
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # vif-route (add|remove|online|offline)
 #
 # Environment vars:
-# vif         vif interface name (required).
+# dev         vif interface name (required).
 # XENBUS_PATH path to this device's details in the XenStore (required).
 #
 # Read from the store:
@@ -21,19 +21,19 @@
 #============================================================================
 
 dir=$(dirname "$0")
-. "$dir/vif-common.sh"
+. "${dir}/vif-common.sh"
 
 main_ip=$(dom0_ip)
 
-case "$command" in
+case "${command}" in
     online)
-        ifconfig ${vif} ${main_ip} netmask 255.255.255.255 up
-        echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/${vif}/proxy_arp
+        ifconfig ${dev} ${main_ip} netmask 255.255.255.255 up
+        echo 1 >/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/${dev}/proxy_arp
         ipcmd='add'
         cmdprefix=''
         ;;
     offline)
-        do_without_error ifdown ${vif}
+        do_without_error ifdown ${dev}
         ipcmd='del'
         cmdprefix='do_without_error'
         ;;
@@ -43,14 +43,14 @@ if [ "${ip}" ] ; then
     # If we've been given a list of IP addresses, then add routes from dom0 to
     # the guest using those addresses.
     for addr in ${ip} ; do
-      ${cmdprefix} ip route ${ipcmd} ${addr} dev ${vif} src ${main_ip}
-    done 
+      ${cmdprefix} ip route ${ipcmd} ${addr} dev ${dev} src ${main_ip}
+    done
 fi
 
 handle_iptable
 
-log debug "Successful vif-route $command for $vif."
-if [ "$command" = "online" ]
+log debug "Successful vif-route ${command} for ${dev}."
+if [ "${command}" = "online" ]
 then
   success
 fi