diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
index bd3f49b6..ddba593a 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
@@ -132,10 +132,11 @@ LXC
 				create_opts=""
 				if [ -f "$__object/parameter/no-default-config" ]; then
 					# generate a random empty file and append
+					# maybe work with an nonexistant file - but just be correct
 					cat <<TMPFILE
 empty_conf="\$(mktemp "\${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/cdist__lxc_container-empty-conf.XXXXXXXXXX")"
 TMPFILE
-					create_opts="$create_opts -f \"\$empty_config\""
+					create_opts="$create_opts -f \"\$empty_conf\""
 
 				elif [ -f "$__object/parameter/default-config" ]; then
 					# append the configuration
@@ -163,10 +164,11 @@ TMPFILE
 				cat <<LXC
 lxc-create $LXC_PARAM $backingstore_opts -n "$name" -t "$template" $create_opts -- $template_opts
 LXC
-				# remove empty tempfile
-				if [ "$empty_config" ]; then
+
+				# remove empty tempfile if it was created
+				if [ -f "$__object/parameter/no-default-config" ]; then
 					cat <<RM
-rm -rf "$empty_config"
+rm -rf "\$empty_conf"
 RM
 				fi
 			fi