diff --git a/salt/suricata/cron/so-suricata-rulestats b/salt/suricata/cron/so-suricata-rulestats
index 95b51c58a..459ab894f 100644
--- a/salt/suricata/cron/so-suricata-rulestats
+++ b/salt/suricata/cron/so-suricata-rulestats
@@ -17,14 +17,23 @@ query() {
 
 STATS=$(query "ruleset-stats")
 RELOAD=$(query "ruleset-reload-time")
+[ -z "$RELOAD" ] && RELOAD='{}'
 
-if echo "$STATS" | jq -e '.return == "OK"' > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    LOADED=$(echo "$STATS" | jq -r '.message[0].rules_loaded')
-    FAILED=$(echo "$STATS" | jq -r '.message[0].rules_failed')
-    LAST_RELOAD=$(echo "$RELOAD" | jq -r '.message[0].last_reload')
+# Outputs valid JSON on success, empty on failure
+OUTPUT=$(jq -n \
+    --argjson stats "$STATS" \
+    --argjson reload "$RELOAD" \
+    'if $stats.return == "OK" and ($stats.message[0].rules_loaded | type) == "number" and ($stats.message[0].rules_failed | type) == "number" then
+        {
+            rules_loaded: $stats.message[0].rules_loaded,
+            rules_failed: $stats.message[0].rules_failed,
+            last_reload: ($reload.message[0].last_reload // ""),
+            return: "OK"
+        }
+    else empty end' 2>/dev/null)
 
-    jq -n --argjson loaded "$LOADED" --argjson failed "$FAILED" --arg reload "$LAST_RELOAD" \
-        '{rules_loaded: $loaded, rules_failed: $failed, last_reload: $reload, return: "OK"}' > "$OUTFILE"
+if [ -n "$OUTPUT" ]; then
+    echo "$OUTPUT" > "$OUTFILE"
 else
     echo '{"return":"FAIL"}' > "$OUTFILE"
 fi
diff --git a/salt/telegraf/scripts/surirules.sh b/salt/telegraf/scripts/surirules.sh
index b38d5df26..f4c6885e1 100644
--- a/salt/telegraf/scripts/surirules.sh
+++ b/salt/telegraf/scripts/surirules.sh
@@ -18,11 +18,15 @@ if [[ ! "`pidof -x $(basename $0) -o %PPID`" ]]; then
     if [ -f "$STATSFILE" ] && [ $(($(date +%s) - $(stat -c %Y "$STATSFILE"))) -lt 90 ] && jq -e '.return == "OK" and .rules_loaded != null and .rules_failed != null' "$STATSFILE" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
         LOADED=$(jq -r '.rules_loaded' "$STATSFILE")
         FAILED=$(jq -r '.rules_failed' "$STATSFILE")
-        RELOAD_TIME=$(jq -r '.last_reload // ""' "$STATSFILE")
+        RELOAD_TIME=$(jq -r 'if .last_reload then .last_reload else "" end' "$STATSFILE")
 
-        echo "surirules loaded=${LOADED}i,failed=${FAILED}i,reload_time=\"${RELOAD_TIME}\",status=\"ok\""
+        if [ -n "$RELOAD_TIME" ]; then
+            echo "surirules loaded=${LOADED}i,failed=${FAILED}i,reload_time=\"${RELOAD_TIME}\",status=\"ok\""
+        else
+            echo "surirules loaded=${LOADED}i,failed=${FAILED}i,status=\"ok\""
+        fi
     else
-        echo "surirules loaded=0i,failed=0i,reload_time=\"\",status=\"unknown\""
+        echo "surirules loaded=0i,failed=0i,status=\"unknown\""
     fi
 
 fi