diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Providers.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Providers.pm
index 72407177a..f9567c05c 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Providers.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Providers.pm
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ sub start_providers() {
     emit  ( '#',
 	    '# Capture the default route(s) if we don\'t have it (them) already.',
 	    '#',
-	    '[ -f ${VARDIR}/default_route ] || $IP -' . $family . ' route list | grep -E \'^\s*(default |nexthop )\' > ${VARDIR}/default_route',
+	    "[ -f \${VARDIR}/default_route ] || \$IP -$family route ls | save_default_route > \${VARDIR}/default_route",
 	    '#',
 	    '# Initialize the file that holds \'undo\' commands',
 	    '#',
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header
index 7461fa468..3c37d43a6 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header
@@ -504,6 +504,17 @@ undo_routing() {
 
 }
 
+#
+# Save the default route
+#
+save_default_route() {
+    awk \
+    'BEGIN        {default=0;}; \
+     /^default /  {default=1; print; next}; \
+     /nexthop/    {if (default == 1 ) {print ; next} }; \
+                  { default=0; };'
+}
+
 #
 # Restore the default route that was in place before the initial 'shorewall start'
 #
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header6 b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header6
index 588fd89b8..e708e88d4 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header6
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.header6
@@ -492,6 +492,17 @@ undo_routing() {
 
 }
 
+#
+# Save the default route
+#
+save_default_route() {
+    awk \
+    'BEGIN        {default=0;}; \
+     /^default /  {default=1; print; next}; \
+     /nexthop/    {if (default == 1 ) {print ; next} }; \
+                  { default=0; };'
+}
+
 #
 # Restore the default route that was in place before the initial 'shorewall start'
 #