diff --git a/tools/hotplug/Linux/xen-hotplug-cleanup b/tools/hotplug/Linux/xen-hotplug-cleanup
index 2b5a2b4590..237a2d1700 100644
--- a/tools/hotplug/Linux/xen-hotplug-cleanup
+++ b/tools/hotplug/Linux/xen-hotplug-cleanup
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ if [ "$vm" != "" ]; then
 
   # if the vm path does not exist and the device class is 'vbd' then we may have
   # a tap2 device
-  if [ "$(xenstore-read "$vm_dev" 2>/dev/null)" != "" ] \
-       && [ "${path_array[1]}" = "vbd" ]; then
-    vm_dev="$vm/device/tap2/${path_array[3]}"
-  fi
+  $(xenstore-read "$vm_dev" 2>/dev/null) || \
+  {
+     if [ "${path_array[1]}" = "vbd" ]; then
+        vm_dev="$vm/device/tap2/${path_array[3]}"
+     fi
+  }
 else
   vm_dev=
 fi