diff --git a/tests/usertools/55_userdel_busy_user/userdel.test b/tests/usertools/55_userdel_busy_user/userdel.test
index 994e4674..37822c6e 100755
--- a/tests/usertools/55_userdel_busy_user/userdel.test
+++ b/tests/usertools/55_userdel_busy_user/userdel.test
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ log_start "$0" "userdel accepts when the user is not is shadow"
 save_config
 
 # restore the files on exit
-trap 'log_status "$0" "FAILURE"; restore_config; kill %1' 0
+trap 'log_status "$0" "FAILURE"; restore_config; kill $pid' 0
 
 change_config
 
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ sleep 1
 
 echo -n "Delete user foo (userdel foo)..."
 userdel foo 2>tmp/userdel.err && exit 1 || {
-	status=$?
+	ps=$(echo $! $?)
+	pid=$(echo $ps | cut -f1 -d' ')
+	status=$(echo $ps | cut -f2 -d' ')
 }
 echo "OK"
 
@@ -42,8 +44,9 @@ diff -au data/userdel.err tmp/userdel.err
 echo "error message OK."
 rm -f tmp/userdel.err
 
-kill %1 || true
-wait %1 || true
+
+kill $pid || true
+wait || true
 
 echo -n "Check the passwd file..."
 ../../common/compare_file.pl config/etc/passwd /etc/passwd