diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_update_index/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_update_index/gencode-remote
index 2d7f9030..77970f2c 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_update_index/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_update_index/gencode-remote
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ apt_opts="-o Acquire::AllowReleaseInfoChange::Suite=true -o Acquire::AllowReleas
 # run 'apt-get update' if anything in /etc/apt is newer then /var/lib/apt/lists
 #   it will be run a second time on error as a redundancy messure to success
 cat << DONE
-if find /etc/apt -mindepth 1 -cnewer /var/lib/apt/lists | grep . > /dev/null; then
+if [ ! -d /var/lib/apt/lists ] || { find /etc/apt -mindepth 1 -cnewer /var/lib/apt/lists | grep . > /dev/null; }; then
    apt-get $apt_opts update || apt-get $apt_opts update
 fi
 DONE