diff --git a/plugins/tags/subcommands/deploy b/plugins/tags/subcommands/deploy
index da9eba0a4..35c573595 100755
--- a/plugins/tags/subcommands/deploy
+++ b/plugins/tags/subcommands/deploy
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ source "$PLUGIN_AVAILABLE_PATH/tags/functions"
 tags_deploy_cmd() {
   declare desc="deploys an app with a given tagged image via command line"
   local cmd="tags:deploy"
-  [[ -z $2 ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify an app to run the command on"
-  local APP="$2"; local IMAGE_TAG="$3"
+  declare APP="$2" IMAGE_TAG="$3"
+  local IMAGE
+  [[ -z "$APP" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify an app to run the command on"
   verify_app_name "$APP"
 
-  local IMAGE="$(get_app_image_name "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG")"
+  IMAGE="$(get_app_image_name "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG")"
   verify_image "$IMAGE" || return 1
   release_and_deploy "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG"  
 }