diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/file b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/file
index 5a02721a..017bcb38 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/file
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/file
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 # 2014 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
+# 2019 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera at ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -19,9 +20,42 @@
 #
 
 if [ -f "$__object/parameter/file" ]; then
-   cat "$__object/parameter/file"
+	cat "$__object/parameter/file"
 else
-   owner="$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner" 2>/dev/null || echo "$__object_id")"
-   home=$(getent passwd "$owner" | cut -d':' -f 6)
-   echo "$home/.ssh/authorized_keys"
+	if [ -s "$__object/parameter/owner" ]
+	then
+		owner=$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner")
+	else
+		owner="$__object_id"
+	fi
+
+	if command -v getent >/dev/null
+	then
+		owner_line=$(getent passwd "$owner")
+	elif [ -f /etc/passwd ]
+	then
+		case $owner
+		in
+			[0-9][0-9]*)
+				owner_line=$(awk -F: "\$3 == \"${owner}\" { print }" /etc/passwd)
+				;;
+			*)
+				owner_line=$(awk -F: "\$1 == \"${owner}\" { print }" /etc/passwd)
+				;;
+		esac
+	fi
+
+	if [ "$owner_line" ]
+	then
+		home=$(echo "$owner_line" | cut -d':' -f6)
+	fi
+
+	if [ ! -d "$home" ]
+	then
+		# Don't know how to determine user's home directory, fall back to ~
+		home="~$owner"
+		command -v realpath >/dev/null && home=$(realpath "$home")
+	fi
+
+	[ -d "$home" ] && echo "$home/.ssh/authorized_keys"
 fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/group b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/group
index 72a4e314..1bd14840 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/group
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/explorer/group
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 # 2014 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
+# 2019 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera at ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -18,6 +19,28 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-owner="$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner" 2>/dev/null || echo "$__object_id")"
-gid="$(getent passwd "$owner" | cut -d':' -f 4)"
-getent group "$gid" || true
+if [ -s "$__object/parameter/owner" ]
+then
+	owner=$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner")
+else
+	owner="$__object_id"
+fi
+
+if command -v getent >/dev/null
+then
+	gid=$(getent passwd "$owner" | cut -d':' -f4)
+	getent group "$gid" || true
+else
+	# Fallback to local file scanning
+	case $owner
+	in
+		[0-9][0-9]*)
+			gid=$(awk -F: "\$3 == \"${owner}\" { print $4 }" /etc/passwd)
+			;;
+		*)
+			gid=$(awk -F: "\$1 == \"${owner}\" { print $4 }" /etc/passwd)
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	awk -F: "\$3 == \"$gid\" { print }" /etc/group
+fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/manifest b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/manifest
index b507c7ff..b9f0582e 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/manifest
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__ssh_authorized_keys/manifest
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ owner="$(cat "$__object/parameter/owner" 2>/dev/null || echo "$__object_id")"
 state="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state" 2>/dev/null)"
 file="$(cat "$__object/explorer/file")"
 
+if [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/nofile" ] && [ -z "$file" ]
+then
+	echo "Cannot determine path of authorized_keys file" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 if [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/noparent" ] || [ ! -f "$__object/parameter/nofile" ]; then
    group="$(cut -d':' -f 1 "$__object/explorer/group")"
    if [ -z "$group" ]; then