diff --git a/standalone/linux/skel/runshell b/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
index afc78b36df..4daf57dae7 100755
--- a/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
+++ b/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ if [ -z "${LOCPATH+set}" ] && [ -z "$GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL" ]; then
 	# Clean up locale caches when their standalone bundle no longer exists.
 	for localecache in $HOME/.cache/git-annex/locales/*; do
 		cachebase=$(cat "$localecache/base" 2>/dev/null || true)
-		if [ ! -d "$cachebase" ] || ! cmp "$localecache/buildid" "$cachebase/buildid" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+		if [ ! -d "$cachebase" ] || [ "$(cat "$localecache/buildid" 2>/dev/null || true)" != "$(cat "$cachebase/buildid" 2>/dev/null || true)" ]; then
 			rm -rf "$localecache" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 		fi
 	done