diff --git a/nodemgmt-scripts.sh b/nodemgmt-scripts.sh
index e25515f7..587f4986 100755
--- a/nodemgmt-scripts.sh
+++ b/nodemgmt-scripts.sh
@@ -1051,7 +1051,7 @@ CHECK_NPMCERTS(){
 		c=0; cw=35; spc=''
 		spc1=`expr ${cw} - ${#SUBJECT}`
 		until [ $c = ${spc1} ]; do spc="${spc} "; c=`expr $c + 1`; done
-		[ ${DAYS} -lt 0 ] && spc=`expr $spc - 1`
+		[ ${DAYS} -lt 0 ] && spc=${spc::-1}
 		
 		if [ ${DAYS} -lt 24 ]; then
 			echo "${SUBJECT}:${spc}${DAYS} days remaining"