diff --git a/config/ompi_fortran_check_logical_array.m4 b/config/ompi_fortran_check_logical_array.m4
index 7a6a6291548..3d2a6de48d8 100644
--- a/config/ompi_fortran_check_logical_array.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_fortran_check_logical_array.m4
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ EOF
                  [ # assume we're ok
                   value=yes],
                  [OPAL_LOG_COMMAND([./conftest],
-                      [if test "`cat conftestval`" = "1" ; then
+                      [if test "`cat conftestval | xargs`" = "1" ; then
                            value=yes
                        else
                            value=no
diff --git a/config/ompi_fortran_check_real16_c_equiv.m4 b/config/ompi_fortran_check_real16_c_equiv.m4
index 3e39798d1c7..8ae47a0f081 100644
--- a/config/ompi_fortran_check_real16_c_equiv.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_fortran_check_real16_c_equiv.m4
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ EOF
              [AC_MSG_RESULT([Error!])
               AC_MSG_ERROR([Can not determine if REAL*16 bit-matches C if cross compiling])],
              [OPAL_LOG_COMMAND([./conftest],
-                 [fortran_real16_happy=`cat conftestval`],
+                 [fortran_real16_happy=`cat conftestval | xargs`],
                  [AC_MSG_RESULT([Error!])
                   AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not determine if REAL*16 bit-matches C type])
                  ])
diff --git a/config/ompi_fortran_get_alignment.m4 b/config/ompi_fortran_get_alignment.m4
index 9ccca2a22fb..fef505885a0 100644
--- a/config/ompi_fortran_get_alignment.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_fortran_get_alignment.m4
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ end program]])],
                           [AS_IF([test "$cross_compiling" = "yes"],
                                  [AC_MSG_ERROR([Can not determine common alignment when cross-compiling])],
                                  [OPAL_LOG_COMMAND([./conftest],
-                                                   [AS_VAR_SET(ompi_cv_fortran_common_alignment, [`cat conftestval`])],
+                                                   [AS_VAR_SET(ompi_cv_fortran_common_alignment, [`cat conftestval | xargs`])],
                                                    [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not determine common alignment])])])],
 
                           [AC_MSG_WARN([Could not determine common alignment])
@@ -216,5 +216,4 @@ end program]])],
           [AC_MSG_CHECKING([Fortran common alignment])
            $1=0
            AC_MSG_RESULT([skipped])])
-
 ])dnl
diff --git a/config/ompi_fortran_get_sizeof.m4 b/config/ompi_fortran_get_sizeof.m4
index e25d982c58f..da597c921ff 100644
--- a/config/ompi_fortran_get_sizeof.m4
+++ b/config/ompi_fortran_get_sizeof.m4
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ EOF
          AS_IF([test "$cross_compiling" = "yes"],
              [AC_MSG_ERROR([Can not determine size of $2 when cross-compiling])],
              [OPAL_LOG_COMMAND([./conftest],
-                 [AS_VAR_SET(type_var, [`cat conftestval`])],
+                 [AS_VAR_SET(type_var, [`cat conftestval | xargs`])],
                  [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not determine size of $2])])])
 
         unset happy ompi_conftest_h