--- a/ejabberdctl.template  1970-01-01 01:00:01.000000000 +0100
+++ b/ejabberdctl.template  2018-04-24 23:06:54.127715441 +0200
@@ -42,19 +42,18 @@
 esac
 
 # parse command line parameters
-for arg; do
-    case $arg in
-        -n|--node) ERLANG_NODE_ARG=$2; shift;;
-        -s|--spool) SPOOL_DIR=$2; shift;;
-        -l|--logs) LOGS_DIR=$2; shift;;
-        -f|--config) EJABBERD_CONFIG_PATH=$2; shift;;
-        -c|--ctl-config) EJABBERDCTL_CONFIG_PATH=$2; shift;;
-        -d|--config-dir) ETC_DIR=$2; shift;;
-        -t|--no-timeout) NO_TIMEOUT="--no-timeout";;
-        --) :;;
+while test $# -gt 0; do
+    case $1 in
+        -n|--node) ERLANG_NODE_ARG=$2; shift 2;;
+        -s|--spool) SPOOL_DIR=$2; shift 2;;
+        -l|--logs) LOGS_DIR=$2; shift 2;;
+        -f|--config) EJABBERD_CONFIG_PATH=$2; shift 2;;
+        -c|--ctl-config) EJABBERDCTL_CONFIG_PATH=$2; shift 2;;
+        -d|--config-dir) ETC_DIR=$2; shift 2;;
+        -t|--no-timeout) NO_TIMEOUT="--no-timeout"; shift 1;;
+        # --) :;; what is this for?
         *) break;;
     esac
-    shift
 done
 
 # define ejabberd variables if not already defined from the command line