diff --git a/make/rootfs.mk b/make/rootfs.mk
index f2e02bba..a5259438 100644
--- a/make/rootfs.mk
+++ b/make/rootfs.mk
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ get-update-info-hd1:
 personalize: | $(TARGET_DIR)
 	$(call local-script,$(notdir $@),start)
 	@LOCAL_ROOT=$(LOCAL_DIR)/root; \
-	if [ $$(ls -A $$LOCAL_ROOT) ]; then \
+	if [ -z "$$(ls -A $$LOCAL_ROOT)" ]; then \
 		cp -a -v $$LOCAL_ROOT/* $(TARGET_DIR)/; \
 	fi
 	$(call local-script,$(notdir $@),stop)