diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__ini_value/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__ini_value/gencode-remote
index d110d2a9..dc6a0431 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__ini_value/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__ini_value/gencode-remote
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ SHELL
         elif [ "$state_should" != "absent" ]; then
             # generate the indentation string
             spaces() {
-                _i=$1
-                while [ $_i -gt 0 ]; do
+                _i="$1"
+                while [ "$_i" -gt 0 ]; do
                     printf " "
                     _i=$((_i - 1))
                 done
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ SHELL
             delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
             value="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value")"
             indentation="$(cat "$__object/parameter/indentation" || true)"
-            i_indent="$(spaces $indentation)"
+            i_indent="$(spaces "$indentation")"
             delimiter_space="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter-space" || true)"
-            i_del_space="$(spaces $delimiter_space)"
-            comment_sign="$(cat "$__object/parameter/comment-sign" | cut -c1)"
+            i_del_space="$(spaces "$delimiter_space")"
+            comment_sign="$(cut -c1 < "$__object/parameter/comment-sign")"
 
             # Generate a simple shell script which just generates the file
             printf "cat <<'FILE' > '%s'\n" "$file"