diff --git a/xdg-desktop-search b/xdg-desktop-search
index f193c5f..e53eae8 100755
--- a/xdg-desktop-search
+++ b/xdg-desktop-search
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@
 ##
 # Configuration
 
-name=$(basename "$(readlink -f "$0")")
 IFS=":"
 xdg_data_dirs=${XDG_DATA_DIRS:-/usr/share/gnome:$HOME/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share:/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share:/usr/local/share:/usr/share}
-search_regex=.*
+search_regex=".*"
 help=false
 verbose=false
-show_directives_regex=.*
+show_directives_regex=".*"
 search_directives_regex="(Name|Exec)"
 
 ##
@@ -162,26 +161,40 @@ parse_options() {
     esac
   done
 
-  [[ "${#search_directives[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && search_directives_regex="($(join "|" ${search_directives[@]}))"
-  [[ "${#show_directives[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && show_directives_regex="^($(join "|" ${show_directives[@]}))="
-  [[ "${#search[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && search_regex="^$search_directives_regex=.*($(join "|" ${search[@]}))"
+  [[ "${#search_directives[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && search_directives_regex="($(join "|" "${search_directives[@]}"))"
+  [[ "${#show_directives[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && show_directives_regex="^($(join "|" "${show_directives[@]}"))="
+  [[ "${#search[@]}" -gt 0 ]] && search_regex="^$search_directives_regex=.*($(join "|" "${search[@]}"))"
+}
+
+valid_data_dirs() {
+  local dirs=$1
+  local IFS=:
+  local result=()
+
+  for dir in $dirs ; do
+    if [[ -d $dir/applications ]] && [[ -r $dir/applications ]] ; then
+      result+=( "$dir" )
+    fi
+  done
+
+  echo "${result[*]}"
 }
 
 ##
 # Main Program
 
-parse_options $@
+parse_options "$@"
 
 "$help" && { usage ; exit 0 ; }
 
 found=0
 
-for _data_dir in $xdg_data_dirs ; do
+for _data_dir in $(valid_data_dirs "$xdg_data_dirs") ; do
   data_dir=$(realpath --canonicalize-missing --no-symlinks "$_data_dir")
   applications="$data_dir/applications"
 
   [[ -d $applications ]] && for desktop in "$applications"/*.desktop ; do
-    grep -Eiq "$search_regex" "$desktop" && {
+    grep -Eiqs "$search_regex" "$desktop" && {
       (( found++ ))
       if "$verbose" ; then
         echo "# $desktop"