diff --git a/grubby-bls b/grubby-bls
index 0306490..5b428a0 100755
--- a/grubby-bls
+++ b/grubby-bls
@@ -495,16 +495,20 @@ update_bls_fragment() {
     if [[ $param = "ALL" && $bootloader = grub2 ]] && [[ -n $remove_args || -n $add_args ]]; then
         local old_args=""
 
-        if [[ -z $no_etc_update ]]; then
+        if [[ -z $no_etc_update ]] && [[ -e ${grub_etc_default} ]]; then
             old_args="$(source ${grub_etc_default}; echo ${GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX})"
-            opts="$(update_args "${old_args}" "${remove_args}" "${add_args}")"
-            opts=$(echo $opts | sed -e 's/\//\\\//g')
-            sed -i -e "s/^GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX.*/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=\\\"${opts}\\\"/" "${grub_etc_default}"
+            if [[ -n $old_args ]]; then
+                opts="$(update_args "${old_args}" "${remove_args}" "${add_args}")"
+                opts="$(echo "$opts" | sed -e 's/\//\\\//g')"
+                sed -i -e "s/^GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX.*/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=\\\"${opts}\\\"/" "${grub_etc_default}"
+            fi
         fi
 
         old_args="$(grub2-editenv "${env}" list | grep kernelopts | sed -e "s/kernelopts=//")"
-        opts="$(update_args "${old_args}" "${remove_args}" "${add_args}")"
-        grub2-editenv "${env}" set kernelopts="${opts}"
+        if [[ -n $old_args ]]; then
+            opts="$(update_args "${old_args}" "${remove_args}" "${add_args}")"
+            grub2-editenv "${env}" set kernelopts="${opts}"
+        fi
     elif [[ $bootloader = grub2 ]]; then
         opts="$(grub2-editenv "${env}" list | grep kernelopts | sed -e "s/kernelopts=//")"
     fi