diff --git a/package/base-files/default/sbin/ifdown b/package/base-files/default/sbin/ifdown
index 2b7f7b632b..26d0e626d2 100755
--- a/package/base-files/default/sbin/ifdown
+++ b/package/base-files/default/sbin/ifdown
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ done
 
 # kill active ppp daemon and other processes
 config_get ifname "$cfg" ifname
-pids="$(cat /var/run/${ifname}.pid /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
+pids="$(head -n1 -q /var/run/${ifname}.pid /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
 for pid in $pids; do 
 	[ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && {
 		kill $pid
diff --git a/package/ppp/files/ppp.sh b/package/ppp/files/ppp.sh
index 35572a0a0d..abc022741a 100644
--- a/package/ppp/files/ppp.sh
+++ b/package/ppp/files/ppp.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ start_pppd() {
 
 	# make sure only one pppd process is started
 	lock "/var/lock/ppp-${cfg}"
-	local pid="$(cat /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
+	local pid="$(head -n1 /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
 	[ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && grep pppd "/proc/$pid/cmdline" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null && {
 		lock -u "/var/lock/ppp-${cfg}"
 		return 0