diff --git a/ejabberdctl.template b/ejabberdctl.template
index 035918bee..252373c32 100755
--- a/ejabberdctl.template
+++ b/ejabberdctl.template
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ if [ "$FIREWALL_WINDOW" != "" ] ; then
     KERNEL_OPTS="${KERNEL_OPTS} -kernel inet_dist_listen_min ${FIREWALL_WINDOW%-*} inet_dist_listen_max ${FIREWALL_WINDOW#*-}"
 fi
 if [ "$INET_DIST_INTERFACE" != "" ] ; then
-    KERNEL_OPTS="${KERNEL_OPTS} -kernel inet_dist_use_interface \"{${INET_DIST_INTERFACE//./,}}\""
+    INET_DIST_INTERFACE2="$(echo $INET_DIST_INTERFACE | sed 's/\./,/g')"
+    if [ "$INET_DIST_INTERFACE" != "$INET_DIST_INTERFACE2" ] ; then
+	INET_DIST_INTERFACE2="{$INET_DIST_INTERFACE2}"
+    fi
+    KERNEL_OPTS="${KERNEL_OPTS} -kernel inet_dist_use_interface $INET_DIST_INTERFACE2"
 fi
 if [ "$ERLANG_NODE" = "${ERLANG_NODE%.*}" ] ; then
     NAME="-sname"