diff --git a/Shorewall-core/lib.cli b/Shorewall-core/lib.cli
index 247fd1b17..79b36cc88 100644
--- a/Shorewall-core/lib.cli
+++ b/Shorewall-core/lib.cli
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ show_routing() {
 determine_ipset_version() {
     local setname
 
-    if [ $IPSET = ipset ]; then
+    if [ -z "$IPSET" -o $IPSET = ipset ]; then
 	IPSET=$(mywhich ipset)
 	[ -n "$IPSET" ] || fatal_error "The ipset utility cannot be located"
     fi
@@ -2956,27 +2956,6 @@ get_config() {
 	fi
     fi
 
-    if [ -n "$IPSET" ]; then
-	case "$IPSET" in
-	    */*)
-		if [ ! -x "$IPSET" ] ; then
-		    echo "   ERROR: The program specified in IPSET ($IPSET) does not exist or is not executable" >&2
-		    exit 2
-		fi
-		;;
-	    *)
-		prog="$(mywhich $IPSET 2> /dev/null)"
-		if [ -z "$prog" ] ; then
-		    echo "   ERROR: Can't find $IPSET executable" >&2
-		    exit 2
-		fi
-		IPSET=$prog
-		;;
-	esac
-    else
-	IPSET='ipset'
-    fi
-
     [ -n "$RESTOREFILE" ] || RESTOREFILE=restore
 
     validate_restorefile RESTOREFILE
@@ -3017,7 +2996,7 @@ get_config() {
 		;;
 	esac
     else
-	IPSET='ipset'
+	IPSET=''
     fi
 
     TC=tc
diff --git a/Shorewall-core/lib.common b/Shorewall-core/lib.common
index d02fdc29f..fdc384b65 100644
--- a/Shorewall-core/lib.common
+++ b/Shorewall-core/lib.common
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ get_script_version() { # $1 = script
 
     temp=$( $SHOREWALL_SHELL $1 version | tail -n 1 | sed 's/-.*//' )
 
-    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    if [ -z "$temp" ]; then
 	version=0
     else
 	ifs=$IFS
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index d0601ba4c..c7252f8a2 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -4564,6 +4564,8 @@ sub get_configuration( $$$ ) {
     default_yes_no 'AUTOHELPERS'                , 'Yes';
     default_yes_no 'RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS'         , 'Yes';
 
+    $config{IPSET} = '' if supplied $config{IPSET} && $config{IPSET} eq 'ipset'; 
+
     if ( supplied $config{HELPERS} ) {
 	my %helpers_temp = %helpers_enabled;
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/lib.cli-std b/Shorewall/lib.cli-std
index 956a6ce3c..6cdf316ba 100644
--- a/Shorewall/lib.cli-std
+++ b/Shorewall/lib.cli-std
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ get_config() {
 			exit 2
 		    fi
 		    ;;
+		ipset)
+		    #
+		    # Old config files had this as default
+		    #
+		    IPSET=''
+		    ;;
 		*)
 		    prog="$(mywhich $IPSET 2> /dev/null)"
 		    if [ -z "$prog" ] ; then
@@ -146,7 +152,7 @@ get_config() {
 		    ;;
 	    esac
 	else
-	    IPSET='ipset'
+	    IPSET=''
 	fi
 
 	if [ -n "$TC" ]; then