x == $x not evaluated

[step-]

this menu file

x=2
x==echo x is $x
item=$x
cmd=true
x=3
y==echo x is $x
item=$y
cmd=true

displays as

echo x is 2         <-- should be "x = 2"
x is 3

[step-]

Moreover, only trivial forms of sh -c are being evaluated. The following menu file evaluates just the first entry (date). Everything else is displayed as entered in the == RHS.

x==sh -c date    <-- this displays as date's output (correct)
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c "date"   <-- this displays as `sh -c "date"`  (wrong), and so on...
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c "echo 'c d'"
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c "echo e f"
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c "echo a"
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c 'echo a'
item=$x
cmd=true
x==sh -c "printf prefix; date"
item=$x
cmd=true