diff --git a/tools/hotplug/Linux/block-common.sh b/tools/hotplug/Linux/block-common.sh
index f86a88c4eb..5c80237d99 100644
--- a/tools/hotplug/Linux/block-common.sh
+++ b/tools/hotplug/Linux/block-common.sh
@@ -112,14 +112,12 @@ same_vm()
                   "$FRONTEND_UUID")
   local target=$(xenstore_read_default  "/local/domain/$FRONTEND_ID/target"   \
                  "-1")
-  local targetvm=$(xenstore_read_default "/local/domain/$target/vm" "-1")
+  local targetvm=$(xenstore_read_default "/local/domain/$target/vm" "No Target")
   local otarget=$(xenstore_read_default  "/local/domain/$otherdom/target"   \
                  "-1")
   local otvm=$(xenstore_read_default  "/local/domain/$otarget/vm"   \
-                 "-1")
-  otvm=${otvm%-1}
-  othervm=${othervm%-1}
-  targetvm=${targetvm%-1}
+                 "No Other Target")
+
   local frontend_uuid=${FRONTEND_UUID%-1}
   
   [ "$frontend_uuid" = "$othervm" -o "$targetvm" = "$othervm" -o \