diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index de7e077..4d96ad3 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ Is this plugin prepared for multisites? Yes.
 * Added a check for the options page to only load if the user has sufficient rights.
 * Changed the radio buttons on the options page to use the WordPress checked() function.
 * Changed get_option() for the options page to make use a $default_value.
+* Rewrite of the wp_jdt_shortcode() function to put security measuremnts in place, better fallback and loading the JS script in the footer.
 
 = 4.1.0 =
 * Compatibility with WordPress version 6.7.1
diff --git a/wp-jquery-datatable.php b/wp-jquery-datatable.php
index 8e4e6b1..5e360ed 100644
--- a/wp-jquery-datatable.php
+++ b/wp-jquery-datatable.php
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ function wp_jdt_settings_page()
             <?php submit_button(); ?>
         </form>
     </div>
-<?php
+    <?php
 }
 
 add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'wp_jdt_style_and_script');  // add custom style and script
@@ -199,87 +199,85 @@ function wp_jdt_load_textdomain()
     load_plugin_textdomain('wp-jquery-datatable', false, dirname(plugin_basename(__FILE__)) . '/languages');
 }
 
-add_shortcode('wp_jdt', 'wp_jdt_shortcode'); // add shortcode   [wp_jdt id="test" info="true" paging="true" page_length="7" paging_type="full_numbers" b_length_change="true" ordering="true" order_row_number="3" order_row_number_sort="desc" searching="true"]
-function wp_jdt_shortcode($atts, $content = "")
+add_shortcode('wp_jdt', 'wp_jdt_shortcode');
+function wp_jdt_shortcode($atts)
 {
+    // Get defaults from options for when not set in shortcode
+    $defaults = array(
+        'id' => 'example',
+        'info' => get_option('wp_jdt_info', 'true'),
+        'paging' => get_option('wp_jdt_paging', 'true'),
+        'page_length' => get_option('wp_jdt_page_length', '10'),
+        'paging_type' => get_option('wp_jdt_paging_type', 'simple'),
+        'b_length_change' => get_option('wp_jdt_b_length_change', 'true'),
+        'ordering' => get_option('wp_jdt_ordering', 'true'),
+        'order_row_number' => get_option('wp_jdt_order_row', '0'),
+        'order_row_number_sort' => get_option('wp_jdt_order_row_sort', 'desc'),
+        'searching' => get_option('wp_jdt_searching', 'true'),
+    );
 
-    $wp_jdt_info = get_option('wp_jdt_info');
-    $wp_jdt_paging = get_option('wp_jdt_paging');
-    /*if(get_option('wp_jdt_paging')){
-    $wp_jdt_paging = 'true';   
-    }else{
-    $wp_jdt_paging = '';   
-    }*/
-    $wp_jdt_page_length = get_option('wp_jdt_page_length');
-    $wp_jdt_paging_type = get_option('wp_jdt_paging_type');
-    $wp_jdt_b_length_change = get_option('wp_jdt_b_length_change');
-    $wp_jdt_ordering = get_option('wp_jdt_ordering');
-    $wp_jdt_order_row = get_option('wp_jdt_order_row');
-    $wp_jdt_order_row_sort = get_option('wp_jdt_order_row_sort');
-    $wp_jdt_searching = get_option('wp_jdt_searching');
+    // Combines user attributes with known attributes and fill in defaults when needed
+    $atts = shortcode_atts($defaults, $atts, 'wp_jdt');
 
-    $atts = shortcode_atts(array(
-        'id' => "example",
-        'info' => "$wp_jdt_info",
-        'paging' => "$wp_jdt_paging",
-        'page_length' => "$wp_jdt_page_length",
-        'paging_type' => "$wp_jdt_paging_type",
-        'b_length_change' => "$wp_jdt_b_length_change",
-        'ordering' => "$wp_jdt_ordering",
-        'order_row_number' => "$wp_jdt_order_row",
-        'order_row_number_sort' => "$wp_jdt_order_row_sort",
-        'searching' => "$wp_jdt_searching",
-    ), $atts, 'wp_jdt');
+    // Sanitize and fall back to defaults when setting from shortcode is unknown
+    $table_id = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9_\-]/', '', $atts['id']);
+    $table_info = ($atts['info'] === 'true') ? 'true' : 'false';
+    $table_paging = ($atts['paging'] === 'true') ? 'true' : 'false';
+    $table_page_length = absint($atts['page_length']);
 
-    $table_id = esc_js($atts['id']);
-    $table_info = esc_js($atts['info']);
-    $table_paging = esc_js($atts['paging']);
-    $table_page_length = esc_js($atts['page_length']);
-    $table_paging_type = esc_js($atts['paging_type']);
-    $table_b_length_change = esc_js($atts['b_length_change']);
-    $table_ordering = esc_js($atts['ordering']);
-    $table_order_row_number = esc_js($atts['order_row_number']);
-    $table_order_row_number_sort = esc_js($atts['order_row_number_sort']);
-    $table_searching = esc_js($atts['searching']);
+    $allowed_table_paging_types = array('simple', 'simple_numbers', 'full', 'full_numbers');
+    $table_paging_type = in_array($atts['paging_type'], $allowed_table_paging_types, true) ? $atts['paging_type'] : 'simple';
 
-    $wp_jdt_script = "";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "<script type='text/javascript' language='javascript' class='init'> \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "jQuery(document).ready(function() { \n";
-
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "jQuery('#$table_id').DataTable({ \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'info': $table_info, \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'paging': $table_paging, \n";
-    if ($table_page_length > 0) {
-        $wp_jdt_script .= "'pageLength': $table_page_length, \n";
-    } else {
-        $wp_jdt_script .= "'pageLength': $wp_jdt_page_length, \n";
-    }
-
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'pagingType': '$table_paging_type', \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'bLengthChange': $table_b_length_change, \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'ordering': $table_ordering, \n";
-    if ($table_order_row_number != '') {  // if 'Specific Column Order' is not null than add this attribute
-
-        $table_order_row_number_sort = ($table_order_row_number_sort != "") ? $table_order_row_number_sort : 'desc';
-        $wp_jdt_script .= "'order': [$table_order_row_number,'$table_order_row_number_sort'], \n";
-    }
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'searching': $table_searching, \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "language: {\n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "'search': '" . __('Searching', 'wp-jquery-datatable') . ":', \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "}, \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "} ); \n";
-    $table_wrapper_id = $table_id . "_wrapper";
-
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "jQuery('#$table_wrapper_id select').prepend('<option value=$table_page_length>" . __('Select') .  "</option>').val('');";
-
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "} ); \n";
-    $wp_jdt_script .= "</script>";
+    $table_b_length_change = ($atts['b_length_change'] === 'true') ? 'true' : 'false';
+    $table_ordering = ($atts['ordering'] === 'true') ? 'true' : 'false';
+    $table_order_row_number = absint($atts['order_row_number']);
+    $table_order_sort = (strtolower($atts['order_row_number_sort']) === 'asc') ? 'asc' : 'desc';
+    $table_searching = ($atts['searching'] === 'true') ? 'true' : 'false';
 
     // css and js
     wp_enqueue_style('jdt-style-data-tables');
     wp_enqueue_script('jdt-js-datatables');
 
-    return  $wp_jdt_script;
+    // Load JS script via wp_footer anonymous function
+    add_action('wp_footer', function () use (
+        $table_id,
+        $table_info,
+        $table_paging,
+        $table_page_length,
+        $table_paging_type,
+        $table_b_length_change,
+        $table_ordering,
+        $table_order_row_number,
+        $table_order_sort,
+        $table_searching
+    ) {
+    ?>
+        <script type="text/javascript">
+            jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
+                $('#<?php echo esc_js($table_id); ?>').DataTable({
+                    'info': <?php echo $table_info; ?>,
+                    'paging': <?php echo $table_paging; ?>,
+                    'pageLength': <?php echo $table_page_length; ?>,
+                    'pagingType': '<?php echo esc_js($table_paging_type); ?>',
+                    'bLengthChange': <?php echo $table_b_length_change; ?>,
+                    'ordering': <?php echo $table_ordering; ?>,
+                    'order': [<?php echo $table_order_row_number; ?>, '<?php echo esc_js($table_order_sort); ?>'],
+                    'searching': <?php echo $table_searching; ?>,
+                    'language': {
+                        'search': '<?php echo esc_js(esc_html__('Searching', 'wp-jquery-datatable')); ?>:'
+                    }
+                });
+
+                $('#<?php echo esc_js($table_id); ?>_wrapper select')
+                    .prepend('<option value="<?php echo $table_page_length; ?>"><?php echo esc_js(esc_html__('Select')); ?></option>')
+                    .val('');
+            });
+        </script>
+<?php
+    });
+
+    // return empty string
+    return '';
 }
 
 register_uninstall_hook(__FILE__, 'wp_jdt_uninstall'); // uninstall plug-in