diff --git a/copy b/copy
index 3dfe792c0fe..aa944924efa 100644
--- a/copy
+++ b/copy
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ if not os.path.exists(source):
 md5sum = None
 changed = False
 if os.path.exists(dest):
-    md5sum = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read()
+    md5sum = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read().split()[0]
 
 os.system("cp %s %s" % (source, dest))
 
-md5sum2 = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read()
+md5sum2 = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read().split()[0]
 
 if md5sum != md5sum2:
     changed = True
diff --git a/template b/template
index 76f97607b64..3bbcbdfcc3d 100644
--- a/template
+++ b/template
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ source = file(source).read()
 changed = False
 md5sum = None
 if os.path.exists(dest):
-    md5sum = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read()
+    md5sum = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read().split()[0]
 
 # call Jinja2 here and save the new template file
 template = jinja2.Template(source)
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ f.close()
 # other end unless things were successful
 
 # record m5sum and return success and whether things have changed
-md5sum2 = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read()
+md5sum2 = os.popen("md5sum %s" % dest).read().split()[0]
 
 if md5sum != md5sum2:
     changed = True