diff --git a/bin/cdist-object-gencode b/bin/cdist-object-gencode
index 12c66026..e21568a3 100755
--- a/bin/cdist-object-gencode
+++ b/bin/cdist-object-gencode
@@ -30,21 +30,19 @@ __cdist_target_host="$1"; shift
 __cdist_object_self="$1"; shift
 __cdist_gencode_type="$1"; shift
 
-__cdist_object_dir="$(__cdist_object_dir "$__cdist_object_self")"
 __cdist_type="$(__cdist_type_from_object "$__cdist_object_self")"
-__cdist_object_id="$(__cdist_object_id_from_object "$__cdist_object_self")"
-__cdist_code_output="$(__cdist_object_code "$__cdist_object_self" "$__cdist_gencode_type")"
 __cdist_type_gencode="$(__cdist_type_gencode "$__cdist_type" "$__cdist_gencode_type")"
+__cdist_code_output="$(__cdist_object_code "$__cdist_object_self" "$__cdist_gencode_type")"
 
-# export variables for gencode
-export __object_id="$__cdist_object_id"
-export __object="$__cdist_object_dir"
+# export variables for the gencode script
+export __object_id="$(__cdist_object_id_from_object "$__cdist_object_self")"
+export __object="$(__cdist_object_dir "$__cdist_object_self")"
 export __global="$__cdist_out_dir"
 
 if [ -x "$__cdist_type_gencode" ]; then
-   __cdist_exec_fail_on_error "$gencode" > "$__cdist_tmp_file"
+   __cdist_exec_fail_on_error "$__cdist_type_gencode" > "$__cdist_tmp_file"
 else
-   if [ -f "$__cdist_type_gencode" ]; then
+   if [ -e "$__cdist_type_gencode" ]; then
       __cdist_exit_err "$__cdist_type_gencode exists, but is not executable"
    fi