diff --git a/src/scripts/blah.py b/src/scripts/blah.py
index d0f9bea4..679add99 100644
--- a/src/scripts/blah.py
+++ b/src/scripts/blah.py
@@ -22,5 +22,8 @@ def items(self):
         return super(BlahConfigParser, self).items(self.header)
 
     def get(self, option):
-        return super(BlahConfigParser, self).get(self.header, option)
+        # ConfigParser happily includes quotes in value strings, which we
+        # happily allow in /etc/blah.config. This causes failures when joining
+        # paths, for example.
+        return super(BlahConfigParser, self).get(self.header, option).strip('"\'')
 
diff --git a/src/scripts/pbs_status.py b/src/scripts/pbs_status.py
index 044904bc..01664f70 100755
--- a/src/scripts/pbs_status.py
+++ b/src/scripts/pbs_status.py
@@ -357,15 +357,17 @@ def get_qstat_location():
     global _qstat_location_cache
     if _qstat_location_cache != None:
         return _qstat_location_cache
+
     try:
-        cmd = os.path.join(config.get('pbs_binpath'), 'qstat')
+        location = os.path.join(config.get('pbs_binpath'), 'qstat')
     except KeyError:
         cmd = 'which qstat'
-    child_stdout = os.popen(cmd)
-    output = child_stdout.read()
-    location = output.split("\n")[0].strip()
-    if child_stdout.close():
-        raise Exception("Unable to determine qstat location: %s" % output)
+        child_stdout = os.popen(cmd)
+        output = child_stdout.read()
+        location = output.split("\n")[0].strip()
+        if child_stdout.close():
+            raise Exception("Unable to determine qstat location: %s" % output)
+
     _qstat_location_cache = location
     return location
 
diff --git a/src/scripts/slurm_status.py b/src/scripts/slurm_status.py
index 8fb9e553..b462a298 100644
--- a/src/scripts/slurm_status.py
+++ b/src/scripts/slurm_status.py
@@ -336,14 +336,15 @@ def get_slurm_location(program):
     if _slurm_location_cache != None:
         return os.path.join(_slurm_location_cache, program)
     try:
-        cmd = os.path.join(config.get('slurm_binpath'), program)
+        location = os.path.join(config.get('slurm_binpath'), program)
     except KeyError:
         cmd = 'which %s' % program
-    child_stdout = os.popen(cmd)
-    output = child_stdout.read()
-    location = output.split("\n")[0].strip()
-    if child_stdout.close():
-        raise Exception("Unable to determine scontrol location: %s" % output)
+        child_stdout = os.popen(cmd)
+        output = child_stdout.read()
+        location = output.split("\n")[0].strip()
+        if child_stdout.close():
+            raise Exception("Unable to determine scontrol location: %s" % output)
+
     _slurm_location_cache = os.path.dirname(location)
     return location