diff --git a/conf/type/__user/gencode-remote b/conf/type/__user/gencode-remote
index 8979c56e..bbf373d4 100755
--- a/conf/type/__user/gencode-remote
+++ b/conf/type/__user/gencode-remote
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@
 
 name="$__object_id"
 
+# We need to shorten options for both usermod and useradd since on some
+# systems (such as *BSD, Darwin) those commands do not handle GNU style long
+# options.
+shorten_property() {
+   RET=
+   case "$1" in
+       comment) RET="-c";;
+       home) RET="-d";;
+       gid) RET="-g";;
+       groups) RET="-G";;
+       password) RET="-p";;
+       shell) RET="-s";;
+       uid) RET="-u";;
+   esac
+}
+
 cd "$__object/parameter"
 if grep -q "^${name}:" "$__object/explorer/passwd"; then
    for property in $(ls .); do
@@ -67,7 +83,8 @@ if grep -q "^${name}:" "$__object/explorer/passwd"; then
       fi
 
       if [ "$new_value" != "$current_value" ]; then
-         set -- "$@" "--$property" \'$new_value\'
+	  shorten_property $property
+          set -- "$@" "$RET" \'$new_value\'
       fi
    done
 
@@ -79,7 +96,8 @@ if grep -q "^${name}:" "$__object/explorer/passwd"; then
 else
    for property in $(ls .); do
       new_value="$(cat "$property")"
-      set -- "$@" "--$property" \'$new_value\'
+      shorten_property $property
+      set -- "$@" "$RET" \'$new_value\'
    done
 
    echo useradd "$@" "$name"