diff --git a/src/freedombone-base-email b/src/freedombone-base-email
index 788e6ddd..3dd52afb 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-base-email
+++ b/src/freedombone-base-email
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ function configure_email_onion {
     function_check wait_for_onion_service
     wait_for_onion_service email
 
-    if [[ $(onion_service_exists email) == "0" ]]; then
+    if [ ! -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_email/hostname ]; then
         echo $"email onion site hostname not found"
         systemctl restart tor
         exit 782352
diff --git a/src/freedombone-utils-onion b/src/freedombone-utils-onion
index 3261289f..85cf6658 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-utils-onion
+++ b/src/freedombone-utils-onion
@@ -50,21 +50,11 @@ function onion_update {
     systemctl restart tor
 }
 
-function onion_service_exists {
-    onion_service_name="$1"
-
-    if [ -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname ]; then
-        echo -n "1"
-    else
-        echo -n "0"
-    fi
-}
-
 function wait_for_onion_service_base {
     onion_service_name="$1"
 
     sleep_ctr=0
-    while [[ $(onion_service_exists ${onion_service_name}) == "0" ]]; do
+    while [ ! -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname ]; do
         sleep 1
         sleep_ctr=$((sleep_ctr + 1))
         if [ $sleep_ctr -gt 10 ]; then
@@ -78,7 +68,7 @@ function wait_for_onion_service {
 
     wait_for_onion_service_base ${onion_service_name}
 
-    if [[ $(onion_service_exists ${onion_service_name}) == "0" ]]; then
+    if [ ! -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname ]; then
         # try a second time
         onion_update
         wait_for_onion_service_base ${onion_service_name}
@@ -123,8 +113,8 @@ function add_onion_service {
     onion_service_port_to=$3
     onion_stealth_name="$4"
 
-    if [[ $(onion_service_exists ${onion_service_name}) == "1" ]]; then
-        cat /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname
+    if [ -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname ]; then
+        echo $(cat /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname)
         return
     fi
 
@@ -145,7 +135,7 @@ function add_onion_service {
     function_check wait_for_onion_service
     wait_for_onion_service ${onion_service_name}
 
-    if [[ $(onion_service_exists ${onion_service_name}) == "0" ]]; then
+    if [ ! -f /var/lib/tor/hidden_service_${onion_service_name}/hostname ]; then
         echo $"${onion_service_name} onion site hostname not found"
         exit 763624
     fi