diff --git a/scripts/start-setupServerProperties b/scripts/start-setupServerProperties
index 012fe501..38aa7030 100755
--- a/scripts/start-setupServerProperties
+++ b/scripts/start-setupServerProperties
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ function customizeServerProps {
   setServerProp "use-native-transport" USE_NATIVE_TRANSPORT
   setServerProp "enforce-whitelist" ENFORCE_WHITELIST
   setServerProp "simulation-distance" SIMULATION_DISTANCE
-  [[ $MOTD ]] && setServerPropValue "motd" "$(echo $MOTD | mc-image-helper asciify)"
+  setServerPropValue "motd" "$(echo "$MOTD" | mc-image-helper asciify)"
   [[ $LEVEL_TYPE ]] && setServerPropValue "level-type" "${LEVEL_TYPE^^}"
 
   if [ -n "$DIFFICULTY" ]; then
-    case $DIFFICULTY in
+    case ${DIFFICULTY,,} in
       peaceful|0)
         if versionLessThan 1.13; then
           DIFFICULTY=0
@@ -148,8 +148,7 @@ function customizeServerProps {
 
   if [ -n "$MODE" ]; then
     log "Setting mode"
-    MODE_LC=$( echo $MODE | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' )
-    case $MODE_LC in
+    case ${MODE,,} in
       su*|0)
         if versionLessThan 1.13; then
           MODE=0