diff --git a/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
index 90bffc94e..73da9bc24 100755
--- a/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ check_log_size_limit() {
     cp -r /opt/so/saltstack/default/pillar/ /opt/so/saltstack/soup_tmp_${epoch_date}/
     # use \cp here to overwrite any pillar files from default with those in local for the tmp directory
     \cp -r /opt/so/saltstack/local/pillar/ /opt/so/saltstack/soup_tmp_${epoch_date}/
-    current_limit=$(salt-call pillar.get elasticsearch:log_size_limit --local --pillar-root=/opt/so/saltstack/soup_tmp_${epoch_date}/pillar)
+    current_limit=$(salt-call pillar.get elasticsearch:log_size_limit --local --pillar-root=/opt/so/saltstack/soup_tmp_${epoch_date}/pillar --out=newline_values_only)
     rm -rf /opt/so/saltstack/soup_tmp_${epoch_date}/
     
     local percent