diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/start-dfs.sh b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/start-dfs.sh
index 12d5209a6a..dbdf41ece9 100755
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/start-dfs.sh
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/start-dfs.sh
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ fi
 
 JOURNAL_NODES=$("${HADOOP_HDFS_HOME}/bin/hdfs" getconf -journalNodes 2>&-)
 
-if [[ "{$JOURNAL_NODES-}" != $'\n' ]]; then
+if [[ "${#JOURNAL_NODES}" != 0 ]]; then
   echo "Starting journal nodes [${JOURNAL_NODES}]"
 
   hadoop_uservar_su hdfs journalnode "${HADOOP_HDFS_HOME}/bin/hdfs" \
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/stop-dfs.sh b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/stop-dfs.sh
index 92974ded73..3da146ec9a 100755
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/stop-dfs.sh
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/bin/stop-dfs.sh
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ fi
 
 JOURNAL_NODES=$("${HADOOP_HDFS_HOME}/bin/hdfs" getconf -journalNodes 2>&-)
 
-if [[ "{$JOURNAL_NODES-}" != $'\n' ]]; then
+if [[ "${#JOURNAL_NODES}" != 0 ]]; then
   echo "Stopping journal nodes [${JOURNAL_NODES}]"
 
   hadoop_uservar_su hdfs journalnode "${HADOOP_HDFS_HOME}/bin/hdfs" \