diff --git a/crates/zoxide-shell/templates/xonsh.txt b/crates/zoxide-shell/templates/xonsh.txt
index 1bb5d95..ffec935 100644
--- a/crates/zoxide-shell/templates/xonsh.txt
+++ b/crates/zoxide-shell/templates/xonsh.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 import os
 {%- endif %}
 import os.path
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 
 {{ SECTION }}
 # Utility functions for zoxide.
@@ -55,15 +59,34 @@ def __zoxide_z(keywords: [str]):
     elif len(keywords) == 1 and os.path.isdir(keywords[0]):
         __zoxide_cd(keywords[0])
     else:
-        __zoxide_result = $(zoxide query -- @(keywords))[:-1]
-        if __zoxide_result:
-            __zoxide_cd(__zoxide_result)
+        try:
+            __zoxide_cmd = subprocess.run(["zoxide", "query", "--"] + keywords, check=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+        except CalledProcessError as e:
+            return e.returncode
+
+        try:
+            __zoxide_result = __zoxide_cmd.stdout[:-1].decode("utf-8")
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            print(f"zoxide: invalid unicode in result: {__zoxide_result}", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+
+        __zoxide_cd(__zoxide_result)
 
 # Jump to a directory using interactive search.
 def __zoxide_zi(keywords: [str]):
-    __zoxide_result = $(zoxide query -- @(keywords))[:-1]
-    if __zoxide_result:
-        __zoxide_cd(__zoxide_result)
+    try:
+        __zoxide_cmd = subprocess.run(["zoxide", "query", "-i", "--"] + keywords, check=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    except CalledProcessError as e:
+        return e.returncode
+
+    try:
+        __zoxide_result = __zoxide_cmd.stdout[:-1].decode("utf-8")
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        print(f"zoxide: invalid unicode in result: {__zoxide_result}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    __zoxide_cd(__zoxide_result)
+
 
 # Add a new entry to the database.
 def __zoxide_za(args: [str]):
@@ -83,9 +106,18 @@ def __zoxide_zr(args: [str]):
 
 # Remove an entry from the database using interactive selection.
 def __zoxide_zri(keywords: [str]):
-    __zoxide_result = $(zoxide query -- @(keywords))[:-1]
-    if __zoxide_result:
-        zoxide remove @(__zoxide_result)
+    try:
+        __zoxide_cmd = subprocess.run(["zoxide", "query", "--"] + keywords, check=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    except CalledProcessError as e:
+        return e.returncode
+
+    try:
+        __zoxide_result = __zoxide_cmd.stdout[:-1].decode("utf-8")
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        print(f"zoxide: invalid unicode in result: {__zoxide_result}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    zoxide remove @(__zoxide_result)
 
 {{ SECTION }}
 # Convenient aliases for zoxide. Disable these using --no-aliases.
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 1cd9ca7..0e0a10b 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ pub fn zo_exclude_dirs() -> Result<Vec<glob::Pattern>> {
             .map(|path| {
                 let pattern = path
                     .to_str()
-                    .context("invalid utf-8 sequence in _ZO_EXCLUDE_DIRS")?;
+                    .context("invalid unicode in _ZO_EXCLUDE_DIRS")?;
                 glob::Pattern::new(&pattern)
                     .with_context(|| format!("invalid glob in _ZO_EXCLUDE_DIRS: {}", pattern))
             })
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn zo_maxage() -> Result<Rank> {
         Some(maxage_osstr) => {
             let maxage_str = maxage_osstr
                 .to_str()
-                .context("invalid utf-8 sequence in _ZO_MAXAGE")?;
+                .context("invalid unicode in _ZO_MAXAGE")?;
             let maxage = maxage_str.parse::<u64>().with_context(|| {
                 format!("unable to parse _ZO_MAXAGE as integer: {}", maxage_str)
             })?;
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index 6bb2066..9bdafdc 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ pub fn current_time() -> Result<Epoch> {
 pub fn path_to_str<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: &P) -> Result<&str> {
     let path = path.as_ref();
     path.to_str()
-        .with_context(|| format!("invalid UTF-8 in path: {}", path.display()))
+        .with_context(|| format!("invalid unicode in path: {}", path.display()))
 }
 
 /// Resolves the absolute version of a path.