diff --git a/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup b/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
index 51cb37241..1cd0b87e2 100755
--- a/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
+++ b/salt/common/tools/sbin/soup
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ check_local_mods() {
     if [[ -f $default_file ]]; then
       file_diff=$(diff "$default_file" "$local_file" )
       if [[ ! " ${local_ignore_arr[*]} " =~ " ${local_file} " ]]; then
-        if [[ $(echo "$file_diff" | grep -c "^<") -gt 0 ]]; then
+        if [[ $(echo "$file_diff" | grep -Ec "^[<>]") -gt 0 ]]; then
           local_mod_arr+=( "$local_file" )
         fi
       fi