diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
index 2aae2973..0fd1471a 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
@@ -23,11 +23,9 @@
 
 if [ -f "$__object/parameter/gid" ]; then
    gid=$(cat "$__object/parameter/gid")
-   getent=$(command -v getent)
-   if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; then
-      "${getent}" group "$gid" || true
+   if command -v getent >/dev/null; then
+      getent group "$gid" || true
    elif [ -f /etc/group ]; then
       grep -E "^(${gid}|([^:]+:){2}${gid}):" /etc/group || true
    fi
 fi
-
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd
index 677e3ff0..b8391a6f 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@
 
 name=$__object_id
 
-getent=$(command -v getent)
-if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; then
-  "${getent}" passwd "$name" || true
+if command -v getent >/dev/null; then
+  getent passwd "$name" || true
 elif [ -f /etc/passwd ]; then
   grep "^${name}:" /etc/passwd || true
 fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow
index c49992d5..73ce0e29 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/sh -e
 #
 # 2011 Steven Armstrong (steven-cdist at armstrong.cc)
 #
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@
 #
 
 name=$__object_id
-os="$("$__explorer/os")"
-# Default to using shadow passwords
-database="shadow"
 
-case "$os" in
-  "freebsd"|"netbsd"|"openbsd")  database="passwd";;
+case $("$__explorer/os") in
+  'freebsd'|'netbsd'|'openbsd')
+    database='passwd'
+    ;;
+  # Default to using shadow passwords
+  *)
+    database='shadow'
+    ;;
 esac
-  
 
-getent=$(command -v getent)
-if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; then
-  "${getent}" "$database" "$name" || true
+if command -v getent >/dev/null; then
+  getent "$database" "$name" || true
 elif [ -f /etc/shadow ]; then
   grep "^${name}:" /etc/shadow || true
 fi