diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/populate-volatile.sh b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/populate-volatile.sh
index 915b7d0b93..6ffe1f2171 100755
--- a/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/populate-volatile.sh
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/initscripts/initscripts-1.0/populate-volatile.sh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ check_requirements() {
 	TMP_COMBINED="${TMPROOT}/tmpcombined.$$"
 
 	cat ${ROOT_DIR}/etc/passwd | sed 's@\(^:\)*:.*@\1@' | sort | uniq > "${TMP_DEFINED}"
-	cat ${CFGFILE} | grep -v "^#" | cut -d " " -f 2 > "${TMP_INTERMED}"
+	cat ${CFGFILE} | grep -v "^#" | cut -s -d " " -f 2 > "${TMP_INTERMED}"
 	cat "${TMP_DEFINED}" "${TMP_INTERMED}" | sort | uniq > "${TMP_COMBINED}"
 	NR_DEFINED_USERS="`cat "${TMP_DEFINED}" | wc -l`"
 	NR_COMBINED_USERS="`cat "${TMP_COMBINED}" | wc -l`"
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ check_requirements() {
 
 
 	cat ${ROOT_DIR}/etc/group | sed 's@\(^:\)*:.*@\1@' | sort | uniq > "${TMP_DEFINED}"
-	cat ${CFGFILE} | grep -v "^#" | cut -d " " -f 3 > "${TMP_INTERMED}"
+	cat ${CFGFILE} | grep -v "^#" | cut -s -d " " -f 3 > "${TMP_INTERMED}"
 	cat "${TMP_DEFINED}" "${TMP_INTERMED}" | sort | uniq > "${TMP_COMBINED}"
 
 	NR_DEFINED_GROUPS="`cat "${TMP_DEFINED}" | wc -l`"