diff --git a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/ansible/shared.yml b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/ansible/shared.yml
index a8bb075ccbc..a797f008c7d 100644
--- a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/ansible/shared.yml
+++ b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/ansible/shared.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 - name: {{{ rule_title }}} - Set Fallback NTP Servers
   ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-    fallback_ntp_servers: '{{ var_multiple_time_servers.split(",") | slice(2)| last |
+    fallback_ntp_servers: '{{ var_multiple_time_servers.split(",") | slice(2)| list | last |
     join(",") }}'
 
 - name: {{{ rule_title }}} - Add missing / update wrong records for NTP servers
diff --git a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/bash/shared.sh b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/bash/shared.sh
index 156e3681906..5b90d616da7 100644
--- a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/bash/shared.sh
+++ b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/bash/shared.sh
@@ -5,16 +5,15 @@
 # disruption = low
 
 {{{ bash_instantiate_variables("var_multiple_time_servers") }}}
-
 IFS=',' read -r -a time_servers_array <<< "$var_multiple_time_servers"
 preferred_ntp_servers_array=("${time_servers_array[@]:0:2}")
 preferred_ntp_servers=$( echo "${preferred_ntp_servers_array[@]}"|sed -e 's/\s\+/,/g' )
 fallback_ntp_servers_array=("${time_servers_array[@]:2}")
 fallback_ntp_servers=$( echo "${fallback_ntp_servers_array[@]}"|sed -e 's/\s\+/,/g' )
 
+IFS=" " mapfile -t current_cfg_arr < <(ls -1 /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/* 2>/dev/null)
 config_file="/etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/oscap-remedy.conf"
-current_cfg_arr=( "/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf" )
-current_cfg_arr+=("$(ls /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/*)")
+current_cfg_arr+=( "/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf" )
 # Comment existing NTP FallbackNTP settings
 for current_cfg in "${current_cfg_arr[@]}"
 do
diff --git a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/tests/common.sh b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/tests/common.sh
index 01d815b5e93..d25072eef30 100644
--- a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/tests/common.sh
+++ b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_configured/tests/common.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+mkdir -p /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/
 echo "" > /etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf
 echo "" > /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/oscap-remedy.conf
diff --git a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/bash/shared.sh b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/bash/shared.sh
index 1e9233b82a9..a45fe535e38 100644
--- a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/bash/shared.sh
+++ b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/bash/shared.sh
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 # disruption = low
 
 config_file="/etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/oscap-remedy.conf"
-current_cfg_arr=( "/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf" )
-current_cfg_arr+=("$(ls /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/*)")
-# Comment existing NTP RootDistance settings
-for current_cfg in "${current_cfg_arr[@]}"
-do
-    sed -i 's/^RootDistanceMax/#&/g' "$current_cfg"
-done
+IFS=" " mapfile -t current_cfg_arr < <(ls -1 /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/* 2>/dev/null)
+current_cfg_arr+=( "/etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf" )
+# Comment existing NTP RootDistanceMax settings
+if [ ${#current_cfg_arr[@]} -ne 0 ]; then
+    for current_cfg in "${current_cfg_arr[@]}"
+    do
+        sed -i 's/^RootDistanceMax/#&/g' "$current_cfg"
+    done
+fi
 # Set RootDistance in drop-in configuration
 echo "RootDistanceMax=1" >> "$config_file"
diff --git a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/tests/common.sh b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/tests/common.sh
index 01d815b5e93..4724bd63b8a 100644
--- a/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/tests/common.sh
+++ b/linux_os/guide/services/ntp/service_timesyncd_root_distance_configured/tests/common.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-
+mkdir -p /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/
 echo "" > /etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf
 echo "" > /etc/systemd/timesyncd.d/oscap-remedy.conf