diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/editor_path b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/editor_path
index 88952e23..a1673a52 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/editor_path
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/editor_path
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/sh -e
 #
 # 2019 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera at ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
 #
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/user_home b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/user_home
index dc1725a0..b88243f7 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/user_home
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/explorer/user_home
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/sh -e
 #
 # 2019 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera at ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
 #
@@ -22,5 +22,12 @@
 #
 
 user=$__object_id
+home=$(getent passwd "${user}" | cut -d':' -f6)
 
-getent passwd "${user}" | cut -d':' -f6
+if ! test -d "${home}"
+then
+	echo "Cannot find home directory of user ${user}" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "${home}"
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/man.rst
index 4dd20a3e..2d7682a6 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/man.rst
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/man.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 cdist-type__sensible_editor(7)
-============================
+==============================
 
 NAME
 ----
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/manifest b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/manifest
index 5ed97533..b02625e2 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/manifest
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__sensible_editor/manifest
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ os=$(cat "${__global}/explorer/os")
 state=$(cat "${__object}/parameter/state")
 user=$__object_id
 
-editor_path=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/editor_path")
-user_home=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/user_home")
-group=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/group")
-
 case $os
 in
 	debian|devuan|ubuntu)
@@ -39,17 +35,9 @@ in
 		;;
 esac
 
-if test -z "${user_home}"
-then
-	echo "Could not find ${user}'s home directory." >&2
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-if test -z "${editor_path}"
-then
-	echo "Editor \"$(cat "${__object}/parameter/editor")\" is missing on the target system." >&2
-	exit 1
-fi
+editor_path=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/editor_path")
+user_home=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/user_home")
+group=$(cat "${__object}/explorer/group")
 
 __file "${user_home}/.selected_editor" --state "${state}" \
 	--owner "${user}" --group "${group}" --mode 0644 \