diff --git a/pressure-vessel/pressure-vessel-unruntime b/pressure-vessel/pressure-vessel-unruntime
index c280ff07ffe1d8fe52fb17e4c951b012a614d5f7..872347db291fcda383d3060a71b5481f00672912 100755
--- a/pressure-vessel/pressure-vessel-unruntime
+++ b/pressure-vessel/pressure-vessel-unruntime
@@ -111,11 +111,15 @@ unset PRESSURE_VESSEL_APP_LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 old_IFS="$IFS"
 IFS=":"
 for word in $ld_audit; do
-    options+=("--ld-audit=$word")
+    if [ -n "$word" ]; then
+        options+=("--ld-audit=$word")
+    fi
 done
 IFS=": "
 for word in $ld_preload; do
-    options+=("--ld-preload=$word")
+    if [ -n "$word" ]; then
+        options+=("--ld-preload=$word")
+    fi
 done
 IFS="$old_IFS"