diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
index 98ce39c6..2aae2973 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/group
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 
 if [ -f "$__object/parameter/gid" ]; then
    gid=$(cat "$__object/parameter/gid")
-   getent group "$gid" || true
+   getent=$(command -v getent)
+   if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; 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 fdbfb193..677e3ff0 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/passwd
@@ -23,5 +23,9 @@
 
 name=$__object_id
 
-getent passwd "$name" || true
-
+getent=$(command -v getent)
+if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; then
+  "${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 1a8fd809..1e6658d4 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__user/explorer/shadow
@@ -31,5 +31,9 @@ case "$os" in
 esac
   
 
-getent "$database" "$name" || true
-
+getent=$(command -v getent)
+if [ X != X"${getent}" ]; then
+  "${getent}" "$database" "$name" || true
+elif [ -f /etc/shadow ]; then
+  grep "^${name}:" /etc/shadow || true
+fi