diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index 19ebf1cbe..81acaec13 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -2596,7 +2596,8 @@ sub evaluate_expression( $$$$ ) {
 	$val = eval qq(package Shorewall::User;
                        use strict;
                        use Shorewall::Config \(qw/supplied/\);
-                       # line $linenumber "$filename"\n$expression);
+                       # line $linenumber "$filename"
+                       $expression);
 
 	unless ( $val ) {
 	    directive_error( "Couldn't parse expression ($expression): $@" , $filename, $linenumber ) if $@;
diff --git a/Shorewall/action.Drop b/Shorewall/action.Drop
index 8894c12c1..c7972eccb 100644
--- a/Shorewall/action.Drop
+++ b/Shorewall/action.Drop
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
-?if @1 ne '' && @1 ne '-'
+?if passed(@1)
     ?if @1 eq 'audit'
 DEFAULTS -,-,A_DROP,A_ACCEPT,A_DROP
     ?else
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ COUNT
 #
 # Special Handling for Auth
 #
-?if @2 ne '-'
+?if passed(@2)
 Auth(@2)
 ?endif
 #
diff --git a/Shorewall/action.GlusterFS b/Shorewall/action.GlusterFS
index bfb2c87b0..ffa3bf11c 100644
--- a/Shorewall/action.GlusterFS
+++ b/Shorewall/action.GlusterFS
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 DEFAULTS 2,0
 
 ?if @1 !~ /^\d+/ || ! @1 || @1 > 1024
-?error Invalid value for Bricks (@1)
+    ?error Invalid value for Bricks (@1)
 ?elsif @2 !~ /^[01]$/
-?error Invalid value for IB (@2)
+    ?error Invalid value for IB (@2)
 ?endif
 
 #ACTION		SOURCE		DEST		PROTO	DEST	SOURCE		ORIGINAL	RATE		USER/	MARK	CONNLIMIT	TIME         HEADERS         SWITCH        HELPER
diff --git a/Shorewall/action.Reject b/Shorewall/action.Reject
index 4fedb10d2..3ce7c6218 100644
--- a/Shorewall/action.Reject
+++ b/Shorewall/action.Reject
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 # IF YOU ARE HAVING CONNECTION PROBLEMS, CHANGING THIS FILE WON'T HELP!!!!!!!!!
 ###############################################################################
 
-?if @1 ne '' && @1 ne '-'
+?if passed(@1)
     ?if @1 eq 'audit'
 DEFAULTS -,-,A_REJECT,A_ACCEPT,A_DROP
     ?else
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ COUNT
 #
 # Special handling for Auth
 #
-?if @2 ne '-'
+?if passed(@2)
 Auth(@2)
 ?endif
 #
diff --git a/Shorewall/action.TCPFlags b/Shorewall/action.TCPFlags
index 4cbdbdc17..6b9fb6283 100644
--- a/Shorewall/action.TCPFlags
+++ b/Shorewall/action.TCPFlags
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 DEFAULTS -
 
-?if @1 ne '' && @1 ne '-'
+?if passed(@1)
     ?if @1 eq 'audit'
         ?set tcpflags_action 'A_DROP'
     ?else