diff --git a/lib/git/shell_shortcuts.sh b/lib/git/shell_shortcuts.sh
index e3ca7f5..9167787 100644
--- a/lib/git/shell_shortcuts.sh
+++ b/lib/git/shell_shortcuts.sh
@@ -124,11 +124,29 @@ if [ "$shell_ls_aliases_enabled" = "true" ] && which ruby > /dev/null 2>&1; then
       setopt shwordsplit
     fi
 
-    # Parse path from args
+    # Get the directory that `ls` is being run relative to.
+    # Only allow one directory to avoid incorrect $e# variables when listing
+    # multiple directories (issue #274)
     local IFS=$'\n'
+    local rel_path
     for arg in "$@"; do
-      if [ -d "$arg" ]; then local rel_path="${arg%/}"; fi
+      if [[ -e $arg ]]; then        # Path rather than option to ls
+        if [[ -z $rel_path ]]; then # We are seeing our first pathname
+          if [[ -d $arg ]]; then    # It's a directory
+            rel_path=$arg
+          else                      # It's a file, expand the current directory
+            rel_path=.
+          fi
+        elif [[ -d $arg || ( -f $arg && $rel_path != . ) ]]; then
+          if [[ -f $arg ]]; then arg=$PWD; fi  # Get directory for current argument
+          # We've already seen a different directory. Quit to avoid damage (issue #274)
+          printf 'scm_breeze: Cannot list relative to both directories:\n  %s\n  %s\n' "$arg" "$rel_path" >&2
+          printf 'Currently only listing a single directory is supported. See issue #274.\n' >&2
+          return 1
+        fi
+      fi
     done
+    rel_path=$("${_abs_path_command[@]}" ${rel_path:-$PWD})
 
     # Replace user/group with user symbol, if defined at ~/.user_sym
     # Before : -rw-rw-r-- 1 ndbroadbent ndbroadbent 1.1K Sep 19 21:39 scm_breeze.sh
@@ -177,9 +195,9 @@ EOF
 
     local IFS=$'\n'
     for file in $ll_files; do
-      if [ -n "$rel_path" ]; then file="$rel_path/$file"; fi
-      export $git_env_char$e="$(_safe_eval "${_abs_path_command[@]}" "$file")"
-      if [ "${scmbDebug:-}" = "true" ]; then echo "Set \$$git_env_char$e  => $file"; fi
+      file=$rel_path/$file
+      export $git_env_char$e=$("${_abs_path_command[@]}" "$file")
+      if [[ ${scmbDebug:-} = true ]]; then echo "Set \$$git_env_char$e  => $file"; fi
       let e++
     done
 
diff --git a/test/lib/git/shell_shortcuts_test.sh b/test/lib/git/shell_shortcuts_test.sh
index 7bab1d3..7f1f6f4 100755
--- a/test/lib/git/shell_shortcuts_test.sh
+++ b/test/lib/git/shell_shortcuts_test.sh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ test_ls_with_file_shortcuts() {
 
   touch 'test file' 'test_file'
   mkdir -p "a [b]" 'a "b"' "a 'b'"
-  touch "a \"b\"/c"
+  touch 'a "b"/c'
 
   # Run command in shell, load output from temp file into variable
   # (This is needed so that env variables are exported in the current shell)
@@ -134,11 +134,22 @@ test_ls_with_file_shortcuts() {
   ls_output=$(<$temp_file strip_colors)
   assertIncludes "$ls_output" '[1]  c' F
   # Test that env variable is set correctly
-  assertEquals "$TEST_DIR/a \"b\"/c" "$e1"
+  assertEquals "$TEST_DIR/"'a "b"/c' "$e1"
   # Test arg with no quotes
   ls_output=$(ls_with_file_shortcuts a\ \"b\" | strip_colors)
   assertIncludes "$ls_output" '[1]  c' F
 
+  # Listing two directories fails (see issue #275)
+  mkdir 1 2
+  touch 1/file
+  assertFalse 'Only one directory supported' 'ls_with_file_shortcuts 1 2'
+  assertFalse 'Fails on <directory> <file>' 'ls_with_file_shortcuts 1 test_file'
+  assertFalse 'Fails on <file> <directory>' 'ls_with_file_shortcuts test_file 1'
+  assertFalse 'Fails on <directory> <directory>/<file>' 'ls_with_file_shortcuts 1 1/file'
+
+  # Files under the root directory
+  assertTrue 'Shortcuts under /' 'ls_with_file_shortcuts / > /dev/null && [[ $e1 =~ ^/[^/]+$ ]]'
+
   cd -
   rm -r "$TEST_DIR" "$temp_file"
 }