diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index 082c495..372024b 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -392,10 +392,11 @@ replaceOrPrepend()
   cleaninput "for sed"
 
   # Retrieve existing priority and prepended date
-  priority=$(sed -e "$item!d" -e $item's/^\((.) \)\{0,1\}\([0-9]\{2,4\}-[0-9]\{2\}-[0-9]\{2\} \)\{0,1\}.*/\1/' "$TODO_FILE")
-  prepdate=$(sed -e "$item!d" -e $item's/^\((.) \)\{0,1\}\([0-9]\{2,4\}-[0-9]\{2\}-[0-9]\{2\} \)\{0,1\}.*/\2/' "$TODO_FILE")
+  local -r priAndDateExpr='^\((.) \)\{0,1\}\([0-9]\{2,4\}-[0-9]\{2\}-[0-9]\{2\} \)\{0,1\}'
+  priority=$(sed -e "$item!d" -e "${item}s/${priAndDateExpr}.*/\\1/" "$TODO_FILE")
+  prepdate=$(sed -e "$item!d" -e "${item}s/${priAndDateExpr}.*/\\2/" "$TODO_FILE")
 
-  if [ "$prepdate" -a "$action" = "replace" ] && [ "$(echo "$input"|sed -e 's/^\((.) \)\{0,1\}\([0-9]\{2,4\}-[0-9]\{2\}-[0-9]\{2\} \)\{0,1\}.*/\1\2/')" ]; then
+  if [ "$prepdate" -a "$action" = "replace" ] && [ "$(echo "$input"|sed -e "s/${priAndDateExpr}.*/\\1\\2/")" ]; then
       # If the replaced text starts with a [priority +] date, it will replace
       # the existing date, too.
     prepdate=