diff --git a/etc/run_blastn b/etc/run_blastn
index db07c153013f43e578c5d1562e5135a6b3f7f884..136416355790ec8c0cda088bd3e2c484a82dcd42 100755
--- a/etc/run_blastn
+++ b/etc/run_blastn
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_blastp b/etc/run_blastp
index 6edeae90da401aaf4be98e91055c56b91ee9df4b..b26e6d757a7b4962353896e2f5b992cb3ce76c31 100755
--- a/etc/run_blastp
+++ b/etc/run_blastp
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_blastx b/etc/run_blastx
index 996bd8e9585b3dbfd9aeaaa2aaa2091aca2398d9..4ee0396fc3d9316467e9bee92ae8f12f17682acb 100755
--- a/etc/run_blastx
+++ b/etc/run_blastx
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_fasta b/etc/run_fasta
index 33ccfc4838e67048292484e82e577a8751089c89..554cf0d7a569fe8101a140cbf63a17b60dd02215 100755
--- a/etc/run_fasta
+++ b/etc/run_fasta
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ if [ -f "$FASTLIBS" ]; then
 fi
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_fastx b/etc/run_fastx
index e37d4b4cd043dd2da23472b9c08c180279fc3447..a6395506636b7b5a3222343e511575878944015a 100644
--- a/etc/run_fastx
+++ b/etc/run_fastx
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_tblastn b/etc/run_tblastn
index 1898bb4145c558b3766a12ec16e86d30aadcfd80..151b783fa54f96fdb2b606b030ea1eb516345f9d 100755
--- a/etc/run_tblastn
+++ b/etc/run_tblastn
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site:
 
diff --git a/etc/run_tblastx b/etc/run_tblastx
index eb4867d24ffda902e73a80e88e7c146b9a181d6b..4f7fee6c8889cd5e0f954c3e57000e17c5e33538 100755
--- a/etc/run_tblastx
+++ b/etc/run_tblastx
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ fi
 
 
 # expand any ~ or environment variables
-EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
-
+#EXPANDED_DATABASE=`echo "echo $DATABASE" | /bin/csh -f`
+eval EXPANDED_DATABASE="$DATABASE"
 
 ### change this function to suit your site: