diff --git a/check_couchdb-lb b/check_couchdb-lb
index 11cfbecfbc6d0881e757c20d61caae073004c2e5..fce1094208bc6a5a31b4daf0dc246d5a505cf74d 100755
--- a/check_couchdb-lb
+++ b/check_couchdb-lb
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #
 # NAGIOS CLIENT CHECK :: see https://projects.iml.unibe.ch/projects/sysadmin/work_packages/3839/activity
 #
-
 # ======================================================================
 
 
@@ -19,8 +18,8 @@ for myHost in $lbList
 do
     ping -c 1 $myHost >$tmpfile || ph.setStatus "critical"
     grep "Redirect Host" $tmpfile >/dev/null && ph.setStatus "critical"
-    ip=`head -1 $tmpfile | cut -f 2 -d '(' | cut -f 1 -d ')'`
-    loss=`grep "packet loss" $tmpfile | cut -f 6 -d " "`
+    ip=$(head -1 $tmpfile | cut -f 2 -d '(' | cut -f 1 -d ')')
+    loss=$(grep "packet loss" $tmpfile | cut -f 6 -d " ")
 
     ph.status "Check LB $myHost $ip - $loss loss"
     test "$loss" = "0%" || cat $tmpfile