diff --git a/scripts/mkloopcard.txt b/scripts/mkloopcard.txt
index 8755462..8990685 100755
--- a/scripts/mkloopcard.txt
+++ b/scripts/mkloopcard.txt
@@ -138,10 +138,8 @@ echo "rc-update add sshd default" | chroot "${tmp_dir}"
 echo "rc-update add net.eth0 default" | chroot "${tmp_dir}"
 
 # work out paths to empty and paths to remove
-oldifs="${IFS}"
-IFS=";"
 if [ -n "${PATHS_TO_REMOVE}" ]; then
-	for path in ${PATHS_TO_REMOVE}; do
+	for path in $(echo ${PATHS_TO_REMOVE} | tr ";" "\n"); do
 		path="${tmp_dir}/${path}"
 		if [ -e "${path}" ]; then
 			echo "Removing: ${path}"
@@ -150,7 +148,7 @@ if [ -n "${PATHS_TO_REMOVE}" ]; then
 	done
 fi
 if [ -n "${PATHS_TO_EMPTY}" ]; then
-	for path in ${PATHS_TO_EMPTY}; do
+	for path in $(echo ${PATHS_TO_EMPTY} | tr ";" "\n"); do
 		path="${tmp_dir}/${path}"
 		if [ -d "${path}" ]; then
 			echo "Emptying: ${path}"
@@ -158,7 +156,6 @@ if [ -n "${PATHS_TO_EMPTY}" ]; then
 		fi
 	done
 fi
-IFS="${oldifs}"
 
 if [ -n "${RELEASE_FILE}" ]; then
 	release_file="${tmp_dir}"/"${RELEASE_FILE}"