diff --git a/src/freedombone b/src/freedombone
index 34188f1a..ecc7b523 100755
--- a/src/freedombone
+++ b/src/freedombone
@@ -8294,7 +8294,7 @@ function install_mariadb {
   get_mariadb_password
   if [ ! $MARIADB_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          MARIADB_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          MARIADB_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           MARIADB_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
       fi
@@ -8554,7 +8554,7 @@ function install_owncloud {
   get_mariadb_owncloud_admin_password
   if [ ! $OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else    
           OWNCLOUD_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
       fi
@@ -8813,7 +8813,7 @@ function install_gogs {
   get_mariadb_git_admin_password
   if [ ! $GIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          GIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          GIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           GIT_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
       fi
@@ -9255,7 +9255,7 @@ function install_xmpp {
 
   if ! grep -q "Your XMPP password is" /home/$MY_USERNAME/README; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          XMPP_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          XMPP_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           XMPP_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 8)"
       fi
@@ -9341,7 +9341,7 @@ function install_irc_server {
   sed -i 's/;CloakHost = cloaked.host/CloakHost = freedombone/g' /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf
   IRC_SALT="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
   if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-      IRC_OPERATOR_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+      IRC_OPERATOR_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
   else
       IRC_OPERATOR_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 8)"
   fi
@@ -9468,7 +9468,7 @@ function install_wiki {
   get_wiki_admin_password
   if [ ! $WIKI_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          WIKI_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          WIKI_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           WIKI_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 16)"
       fi
@@ -9908,7 +9908,7 @@ function install_blog {
   get_blog_admin_password
   if [ ! $FULLBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          FULLBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          FULLBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           FULLBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 16)"
       fi
@@ -9984,7 +9984,7 @@ function install_gnu_social {
   get_mariadb_gnusocial_admin_password
   if [ ! $MICROBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          MICROBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          MICROBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           MICROBLOG_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
       fi
@@ -10263,7 +10263,7 @@ function install_hubzilla {
   get_mariadb_hubzilla_admin_password
   if [ ! $HUBZILLA_ADMIN_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          HUBZILLA_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          HUBZILLA_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           HUBZILLA_ADMIN_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
       fi
@@ -11312,7 +11312,7 @@ function install_voip {
   get_voip_server_password
   if [ ! $VOIP_SERVER_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          VOIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          VOIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           VOIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 16)"
           if [ ${#VOIP_SERVER_PASSWORD} -lt $MINIMUM_PASSWORD_LENGTH ]; then
@@ -11403,7 +11403,7 @@ function install_sip {
   get_sip_server_password
   if [ ! $SIP_SERVER_PASSWORD ]; then
       if [ -f $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE ]; then
-          SIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE)"
+          SIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(printf `cat $IMAGE_PASSWORD_FILE`)"
       else
           SIP_SERVER_PASSWORD="$(openssl rand -base64 10)"
       fi
diff --git a/src/freedombone-image-customise b/src/freedombone-image-customise
index 37a28d9c..2755178c 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-image-customise
+++ b/src/freedombone-image-customise
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ EOF
 if [ -f ~/.initial_setup ]; then
 EOF
     echo '    if [ -f ~/login.txt ]; then' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
-    echo '        NEW_USER_PASSWORD=$(cat ~/login.txt)' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
+    echo '        NEW_USER_PASSWORD=$(printf `cat ~/login.txt`)' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
     echo '    else' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
     echo '        ENTROPY=$(cat /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail)' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
     echo '        if [ $ENTROPY -lt 500]; then' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ EOF
 EOF
     # change the password for the admin user
     echo -n "        echo \"${MY_USERNAME}:" >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
-    echo -n '$(cat ~/login.txt)"|chpasswd' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
+    echo -n '$(printf `cat ~/login.txt`)"|chpasswd' >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc
 
     # Remove the initial setup files
     echo "        rm /root/.initial_setup" >> $rootdir/root/.bashrc