diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
index 94a5ea7f..071bc862 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 # 2011 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
+# 2014 Daniel Heule     (hda at sfs.biz)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -18,36 +19,49 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key" 2>/dev/null \
+export key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "$__object_id")"
-state="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state" 2>/dev/null \
+export state="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "present")"
 file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
-delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
-value="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value" 2>/dev/null \
+export delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
+export value="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "__CDIST_NOTSET__")"
 
-case "$state" in
-   absent)
-      if grep -q -E "^$key$delimiter+" "$file"; then
-         # if the key exists, with whatever value, we will have to remove it
-         # so report it as present
-         echo present
-      else
-         # key does not exist
-         echo absent
-      fi
-   ;;
-   present)
-      if grep -q -E "^$key$delimiter+$value$" "$file"; then
-         # key exists and value is same
-         echo present
-      elif grep -q -E "^$key$delimiter+" "$file"; then
-         # key exists, but value is empty or different
-         echo wrongvalue
-      else
-         # key does not exist
-         echo absent
-      fi
-   ;;
-esac
+awk -f - "$file" <<"AWK_EOF"
+BEGIN {
+    state=ENVIRON["state"]
+    key=ENVIRON["key"]
+    delimiter=ENVIRON["delimiter"]
+    value=ENVIRON["value"]
+    keydel=key delimiter
+    line=keydel value
+    found=0
+}
+# enter the main loop
+{
+    i = index($0,keydel)
+    if(i == 1) {
+        found=1
+        if(state == "absent") {
+            # on state absent, only the ocurance is relevant, so exit here
+            print "present"
+            exit
+        }
+        # Key with separator found
+        if($0 == line) {
+            # exact match found, so state is present
+            print "present"
+        }
+        else {
+            # not value is wrong ...
+            print "wrongvalue"
+        }
+        exit
+    }
+}
+END {
+    if(found == 0)
+        print "absent"
+}
+AWK_EOF
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
index b79d9688..0e963b7c 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #
 # 2011 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
 # 2012 Nico Schottelius (nico-cdist at schottelius.org)
+# 2014 Daniel Heule     (hda at sfs.biz)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
+#set -x
 
 key="$__object_id"
 [ -f "$__object/parameter/key" ] && key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key")"
@@ -25,39 +27,15 @@ key="$__object_id"
 state_should="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state")"
 
 file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
-delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
-# escape double quotes, as that is what we use ourself below
-value_escaped="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value" | sed -e "s/\([\"]\)/\\\\\1/g")"
 state_is="$(cat "$__object/explorer/state")"
 
 [ "$state_is" = "$state_should" ] && exit 0
 
+# here we check only if the states are valid, let awk do the work ...
 case "$state_should" in
-    absent)
-        # remove lines starting with key
-        cat << DONE
-tmpfile=\$(mktemp ${file}.cdist.XXXXXXXXXX)
-# preserve ownership and permissions by copying existing file over tmpfile
-cp -p "$file" "\$tmpfile"
-sed '/^$key\($delimiter\+\)/d' "$file" > "\$tmpfile"
-mv -f "\$tmpfile" "$file"
-DONE
-    ;;
-    present)
+    absent|present)
         case "$state_is" in
-            absent)
-                # add new key and value
-                printf 'echo "%s%s%s" >> "%s"' "$key" "$delimiter" "$value_escaped" "$file"
-            ;;
-            wrongvalue)
-                # change exisiting value
-                cat << DONE
-tmpfile=\$(mktemp ${file}.cdist.XXXXXXXXXX)
-# preserve ownership and permissions by copying existing file over tmpfile
-cp -p "$file" "\$tmpfile"
-sed "s|^$key\($delimiter\+\).*|$key\\1$value_escaped|" "$file" > "\$tmpfile"
-mv -f "\$tmpfile" "$file"
-DONE
+            absent|wrongvalue|present)
             ;;
             *)
                 echo "Unknown explorer state: $state_is" >&2
@@ -68,3 +46,64 @@ DONE
        echo "Unknown state: $state_should" >&2
        exit 1
 esac
+
+cat <<CDIST_HEREDOC_END_HERE_MARKER
+export state="\$(cat <<"CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$state_should
+CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
+export key="\$(cat <<"CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$key
+CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
+export delimiter="\$(cat <<"CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")
+CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
+export value="\$(cat <<"CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$(cat "$__object/parameter/value")
+CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
+
+tmpfile=\$(mktemp "${file}.cdist.XXXXXXXXXX")
+# preserve ownership and permissions by copying existing file over tmpfile
+cp -p "$file" "\$tmpfile"
+awk -f - "$file" >"\$tmpfile" <<"AWK_EOF"
+BEGIN {
+    # import variables in a secure way ..
+    state=ENVIRON["state"]
+    key=ENVIRON["key"]
+    delimiter=ENVIRON["delimiter"]
+    value=ENVIRON["value"]
+    keydel=key delimiter
+    line=keydel value
+    inserted=0
+}
+# enter the main loop
+{
+    # I dont use regex, this is by design, so we can match against every value without special meanings of chars ...
+    i = index(\$0,keydel)
+    if(i == 1) {
+        if(state == "absent") {
+            # if absent, simple yump over this line
+            next
+        }
+        else {
+            inserted=1
+            # state is present, so insert correct line here
+            print line
+            next
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        print \$0
+    }
+}
+END {
+    if(inserted == 0 && state == "present" ) {
+        print line
+    }
+}
+AWK_EOF
+mv -f "\$tmpfile" "$file"
+CDIST_HEREDOC_END_HERE_MARKER