1 files changed, 12 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/loginutils/passwd.c b/loginutils/passwd.c
index c1481c65e..b447af2f5 100644
--- a/loginutils/passwd.c
+++ b/loginutils/passwd.c
@@ -128,12 +128,20 @@ int passwd_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
                 /* getspnam_r may return 0 yet set result to NULL.
                  * At least glibc 2.4 does this. Be extra paranoid here. */
                 struct spwd *result = NULL;
-                if (getspnam_r(pw->pw_name, &spw, buffer, sizeof(buffer), &result)
-                 || !result || strcmp(result->sp_namp, pw->pw_name) != 0) {
-                        /* LOGMODE_BOTH */
-                        bb_error_msg("no record of %s in %s, using %s",
+                errno = 0;
+                if (getspnam_r(pw->pw_name, &spw, buffer, sizeof(buffer), &result) != 0
+                 || !result /* no error, but no record found either */
+                 || strcmp(result->sp_namp, pw->pw_name) != 0 /* paranoia */
+                ) {
+                        if (errno != ENOENT) {
+                                /* LOGMODE_BOTH */
+                                bb_perror_msg("no record of %s in %s, using %s",
                                         name, bb_path_shadow_file,
                                         bb_path_passwd_file);
+                        }
+                        /* else: /etc/shadow does not exist,
+                         * apparently we are on a shadow-less system,
+                         * no surprise there */
                 } else {
                         pw->pw_passwd = result->sp_pwdp;
                 }