diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.debian.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.debian.asterisk
index 0d9eb6915b..015f2db300 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.debian.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.debian.asterisk
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	# Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 	# starting up Asterisk when Asterisk is already running is very bad.
 	VERSION=`${DAEMON} -rx 'core show version' || ${TRUE}`
-	if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+	if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 		echo "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 		exit 1
 	fi
diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.gentoo.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.gentoo.asterisk
index efc87afc70..161bdd0eed 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.gentoo.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.gentoo.asterisk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ start() {
 	# Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 	# starting safe_asterisk when Asterisk is running is very bad.
 	VERSION=`${ASTSBINDIR}/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-	if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+	if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 		echo "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 		exit 1
 	fi
diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.mandrake.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.mandrake.asterisk
index 8d4f0b70d7..e9da4a810d 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.mandrake.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.mandrake.asterisk
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		# Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 		# starting Asterisk when Asterisk is already running is very bad.
 		VERSION=`${ASTSBINDIR}/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-		if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+		if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 			echo "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 			exit 1
 		fi
diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.redhat.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.redhat.asterisk
index de821fe8a2..aeaa8f15e7 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.redhat.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.redhat.asterisk
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ start() {
 	# Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 	# starting safe_asterisk when Asterisk is running is very bad.
 	VERSION=`${AST_SBIN}/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-	if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+	if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 		echo "Asterisk is already running."
 		exit 1
 	fi
diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.slackware.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.slackware.asterisk
index 0b2d3a7c5a..c1db46f3c9 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.slackware.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.slackware.asterisk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ asterisk_start() {
       # Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
       # starting safe_asterisk when Asterisk is running is very bad.
       VERSION=`/usr/sbin/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-      if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+	  if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
          echo "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
          exit 1
       fi
diff --git a/contrib/init.d/rc.suse.asterisk b/contrib/init.d/rc.suse.asterisk
index c8d94df1ce..d7f1b82ac9 100755
--- a/contrib/init.d/rc.suse.asterisk
+++ b/contrib/init.d/rc.suse.asterisk
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ start() {
 	# Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 	# starting Asterisk when Asterisk is already running is very bad.
 	VERSION=`/usr/sbin/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-	if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+	if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 		echo "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 		exit 1
 	fi
diff --git a/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk b/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
index e73933ad40..c8841f3edb 100644
--- a/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
+++ b/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/sh
 # vim:textwidth=80:tabstop=4:shiftwidth=4:smartindent:autoindent
 
 CLIARGS="$*"				# Grab any args passed to safe_asterisk
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function message() {
 # Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 # starting safe_asterisk when Asterisk is running is very bad.
 VERSION=`${ASTSBINDIR}/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
-if [ "${VERSION:0:8}" = "Asterisk" ]; then # otherwise "Unable t"
+if [ "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ]; then
 	message "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 	exit 1
 fi