diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/def_data.c b/plugins/sudoers/def_data.c
index 937ecab0b..5a01be6a5 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/def_data.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/def_data.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ struct sudo_defs_types sudo_defs_table[] = {
 	NULL,
     }, {
 	"closefrom_override", T_FLAG,
-	N_("If set, users may override the value of `closefrom' with the -C option"),
+	N_("If set, users may override the value of \"closefrom\" with the -C option"),
 	NULL,
     }, {
 	"setenv", T_FLAG,
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/def_data.in b/plugins/sudoers/def_data.in
index a9079eb16..da156da26 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/def_data.in
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/def_data.in
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ closefrom
 	"File descriptors >= %d will be closed before executing a command"
 closefrom_override
 	T_FLAG
-	"If set, users may override the value of `closefrom' with the -C option"
+	"If set, users may override the value of "closefrom" with the -C option"
 setenv
 	T_FLAG
 	"Allow users to set arbitrary environment variables"
diff --git a/src/parse_args.c b/src/parse_args.c
index 733e825a2..f5853b8d8 100644
--- a/src/parse_args.c
+++ b/src/parse_args.c
@@ -529,11 +529,11 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int *old_optind, int *nargc, char ***nargv,
 
     if (ISSET(flags, MODE_LOGIN_SHELL)) {
 	if (ISSET(flags, MODE_SHELL)) {
-	    sudo_warnx(U_("you may not specify both the `-i' and `-s' options"));
+	    sudo_warnx(U_("you may not specify both the -i and -s options"));
 	    usage();
 	}
 	if (ISSET(flags, MODE_PRESERVE_ENV)) {
-	    sudo_warnx(U_("you may not specify both the `-i' and `-E' options"));
+	    sudo_warnx(U_("you may not specify both the -i and -E options"));
 	    usage();
 	}
 	SET(flags, MODE_SHELL);
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int *old_optind, int *nargc, char ***nargv,
     if (mode == MODE_EDIT &&
        (ISSET(flags, MODE_PRESERVE_ENV) || extra_env.env_len != 0)) {
 	if (ISSET(mode, MODE_PRESERVE_ENV))
-	    sudo_warnx(U_("the `-E' option is not valid in edit mode"));
+	    sudo_warnx(U_("the -E option is not valid in edit mode"));
 	if (extra_env.env_len != 0)
 	    sudo_warnx(U_("you may not specify environment variables in edit mode"));
 	usage();
@@ -554,11 +554,11 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int *old_optind, int *nargc, char ***nargv,
 	usage();
     }
     if (list_user != NULL && mode != MODE_LIST && mode != MODE_CHECK) {
-	sudo_warnx(U_("the `-U' option may only be used with the `-l' option"));
+	sudo_warnx(U_("the -U option may only be used with the -l option"));
 	usage();
     }
     if (ISSET(tgetpass_flags, TGP_STDIN) && ISSET(tgetpass_flags, TGP_ASKPASS)) {
-	sudo_warnx(U_("the `-A' and `-S' options may not be used together"));
+	sudo_warnx(U_("the -A and -S options may not be used together"));
 	usage();
     }
     if ((argc == 0 && mode == MODE_EDIT) ||
diff --git a/src/sudo.c b/src/sudo.c
index 288af53ce..c16a5aabb 100644
--- a/src/sudo.c
+++ b/src/sudo.c
@@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ policy_check(int argc, char * const argv[],
     debug_decl(policy_check, SUDO_DEBUG_PCOMM);
 
     if (policy_plugin.u.policy->check_policy == NULL) {
-	sudo_fatalx(U_("policy plugin %s is missing the `check_policy' method"),
+	sudo_fatalx(U_("policy plugin %s is missing the \"check_policy\" method"),
 	    policy_plugin.name);
     }
     sudo_debug_set_active_instance(policy_plugin.debug_instance);