diff --git a/comp.go b/comp.go
index 1ab4a08..84aee0f 100644
--- a/comp.go
+++ b/comp.go
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ var (
 		"redraw",
 		"reload",
 		"read",
-		"read-shell",
-		"read-shell-pipe",
-		"read-shell-wait",
-		"read-shell-async",
+		"shell",
+		"shell-pipe",
+		"shell-wait",
+		"shell-async",
 		"search",
 		"search-back",
 		"search-next",
diff --git a/doc.go b/doc.go
index 0f693b4..5936d89 100644
--- a/doc.go
+++ b/doc.go
@@ -12,35 +12,35 @@ Reference
 
 The following commands are provided by lf with default keybindings:
 
-    up                (default 'k' and '<up>')
-    half-up           (default '<c-u>')
-    page-up           (default '<c-b>')
-    down              (default 'j' and '<down>')
-    half-down         (default '<c-d>')
-    page-down         (default '<c-f>')
-    updir             (default 'h' and '<left>')
-    open              (default 'l' and '<right>')
-    quit              (default 'q')
-    top               (default 'gg')
-    bot               (default 'G')
-    toggle            (default '<space>')
-    invert            (default 'v')
-    unmark            (default 'u')
-    yank              (default 'y')
-    delete            (default 'd')
-    put               (default 'p')
-    clear             (default 'c')
-    redraw            (default '<c-l>')
-    reload            (default '<c-r>')
-    read              (default ':')
-    read-shell        (default '$')
-    read-shell-pipe   (default '%')
-    read-shell-wait   (default '!')
-    read-shell-async  (default '&')
-    search            (default '/')
-    search-back       (default '?')
-    search-next       (default 'n')
-    search-prev       (default 'N')
+    up           (default 'k' and '<up>')
+    half-up      (default '<c-u>')
+    page-up      (default '<c-b>')
+    down         (default 'j' and '<down>')
+    half-down    (default '<c-d>')
+    page-down    (default '<c-f>')
+    updir        (default 'h' and '<left>')
+    open         (default 'l' and '<right>')
+    quit         (default 'q')
+    top          (default 'gg')
+    bot          (default 'G')
+    toggle       (default '<space>')
+    invert       (default 'v')
+    unmark       (default 'u')
+    yank         (default 'y')
+    delete       (default 'd')
+    put          (default 'p')
+    clear        (default 'c')
+    redraw       (default '<c-l>')
+    reload       (default '<c-r>')
+    read         (default ':')
+    shell        (default '$')
+    shell-pipe   (default '%')
+    shell-wait   (default '!')
+    shell-async  (default '&')
+    search       (default '/')
+    search-back  (default '?')
+    search-next  (default 'n')
+    search-prev  (default 'N')
 
 The following commands are provided by lf without default keybindings:
 
@@ -143,13 +143,13 @@ Prefixes
 
 The following command prefixes are used by lf:
 
-    :  read (default)    builtin/custom command
-    $  read-shell        shell command
-    %  read-shell-pipe   shell command displaying the output
-    !  read-shell-wait   shell command waiting for key press
-    &  read-shell-async  asynchronous shell command
-    /  search            search file in current directory
-    ?  search-back       search file in the reverse order
+    :  read (default)  builtin/custom command
+    $  shell           shell command
+    %  shell-pipe      shell command displaying the output
+    !  shell-wait      shell command waiting for key press
+    &  shell-async     asynchronous shell command
+    /  search          search file in current directory
+    ?  search-back     search file in the reverse order
 
 The same evaluator is used for the command line and the configuration file. The
 difference is that prefixes are not necessary in the command line. Instead
diff --git a/docstring.go b/docstring.go
index 0e4ddc0..f36c118 100644
--- a/docstring.go
+++ b/docstring.go
@@ -16,35 +16,35 @@ Reference
 
 The following commands are provided by lf with default keybindings:
 
-    up                (default 'k' and '<up>')
-    half-up           (default '<c-u>')
-    page-up           (default '<c-b>')
-    down              (default 'j' and '<down>')
-    half-down         (default '<c-d>')
-    page-down         (default '<c-f>')
-    updir             (default 'h' and '<left>')
-    open              (default 'l' and '<right>')
-    quit              (default 'q')
-    top               (default 'gg')
-    bot               (default 'G')
-    toggle            (default '<space>')
-    invert            (default 'v')
-    unmark            (default 'u')
-    yank              (default 'y')
-    delete            (default 'd')
-    put               (default 'p')
-    clear             (default 'c')
-    redraw            (default '<c-l>')
-    reload            (default '<c-r>')
-    read              (default ':')
-    read-shell        (default '$')
-    read-shell-pipe   (default '%')
-    read-shell-wait   (default '!')
-    read-shell-async  (default '&')
-    search            (default '/')
-    search-back       (default '?')
-    search-next       (default 'n')
-    search-prev       (default 'N')
+    up           (default 'k' and '<up>')
+    half-up      (default '<c-u>')
+    page-up      (default '<c-b>')
+    down         (default 'j' and '<down>')
+    half-down    (default '<c-d>')
+    page-down    (default '<c-f>')
+    updir        (default 'h' and '<left>')
+    open         (default 'l' and '<right>')
+    quit         (default 'q')
+    top          (default 'gg')
+    bot          (default 'G')
+    toggle       (default '<space>')
+    invert       (default 'v')
+    unmark       (default 'u')
+    yank         (default 'y')
+    delete       (default 'd')
+    put          (default 'p')
+    clear        (default 'c')
+    redraw       (default '<c-l>')
+    reload       (default '<c-r>')
+    read         (default ':')
+    shell        (default '$')
+    shell-pipe   (default '%')
+    shell-wait   (default '!')
+    shell-async  (default '&')
+    search       (default '/')
+    search-back  (default '?')
+    search-next  (default 'n')
+    search-prev  (default 'N')
 
 The following commands are provided by lf without default keybindings:
 
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ Prefixes
 
 The following command prefixes are used by lf:
 
-    :  read (default)    builtin/custom command
-    $  read-shell        shell command
-    %  read-shell-pipe   shell command displaying the output
-    !  read-shell-wait   shell command waiting for key press
-    &  read-shell-async  asynchronous shell command
-    /  search            search file in current directory
-    ?  search-back       search file in the reverse order
+    :  read (default)  builtin/custom command
+    $  shell           shell command
+    %  shell-pipe      shell command displaying the output
+    !  shell-wait      shell command waiting for key press
+    &  shell-async     asynchronous shell command
+    /  search          search file in current directory
+    ?  search-back     search file in the reverse order
 
 The same evaluator is used for the command line and the configuration file.
 The difference is that prefixes are not necessary in the command line.
diff --git a/etc/lfrc.example b/etc/lfrc.example
index b36badc..b1b5eee 100644
--- a/etc/lfrc.example
+++ b/etc/lfrc.example
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ set ifs "\n"
 set scrolloff 10
 
 # use enter for shell commands
-map <enter> read-shell
+map <enter> shell
 
 # execute current file (must be executable)
 map x $$f
diff --git a/eval.go b/eval.go
index 81741cd..ac118c5 100644
--- a/eval.go
+++ b/eval.go
@@ -344,13 +344,13 @@ func (e *callExpr) eval(app *app, args []string) {
 		app.nav.reload()
 	case "read":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = ":"
-	case "read-shell":
+	case "shell":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = "$"
-	case "read-shell-pipe":
+	case "shell-pipe":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = "%"
-	case "read-shell-wait":
+	case "shell-wait":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = "!"
-	case "read-shell-async":
+	case "shell-async":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = "&"
 	case "search":
 		app.ui.cmdPrefix = "/"
diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index e865594..74a41b1 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@ func init() {
 	gOpts.keys["<c-l>"] = &callExpr{"redraw", nil}
 	gOpts.keys["<c-r>"] = &callExpr{"reload", nil}
 	gOpts.keys[":"] = &callExpr{"read", nil}
-	gOpts.keys["$"] = &callExpr{"read-shell", nil}
-	gOpts.keys["%"] = &callExpr{"read-shell-pipe", nil}
-	gOpts.keys["!"] = &callExpr{"read-shell-wait", nil}
-	gOpts.keys["&"] = &callExpr{"read-shell-async", nil}
+	gOpts.keys["$"] = &callExpr{"shell", nil}
+	gOpts.keys["%"] = &callExpr{"shell-pipe", nil}
+	gOpts.keys["!"] = &callExpr{"shell-wait", nil}
+	gOpts.keys["&"] = &callExpr{"shell-async", nil}
 	gOpts.keys["/"] = &callExpr{"search", nil}
 	gOpts.keys["?"] = &callExpr{"search-back", nil}
 	gOpts.keys["n"] = &callExpr{"search-next", nil}