diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/image_types.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/image_types.bbclass
index ae00728a74..57f54f0588 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/image_types.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/image_types.bbclass
@@ -161,11 +161,7 @@ UBI_VOLTYPE ?= "dynamic"
 UBI_IMGTYPE ?= "ubifs"
 
 write_ubi_config() {
-	if [ -z "$1" ]; then
-		local vname=""
-	else
-		local vname="_$1"
-	fi
+	local vname="$1"
 
 	cat <<EOF > ubinize${vname}-${IMAGE_NAME}.cfg
 [ubifs]
@@ -187,7 +183,12 @@ multiubi_mkfs() {
             bbfatal "MKUBIFS_ARGS and UBINIZE_ARGS have to be set, see http://www.linux-mtd.infradead.org/faq/ubifs.html for details"
         fi
 
-	write_ubi_config "$3"
+	if [ -z "$3" ]; then
+		local vname=""
+	else
+		local vname="_$3"
+	fi
+	write_ubi_config "${vname}"
 
 	if [ -n "$vname" ]; then
 		mkfs.ubifs -r ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} -o ${IMGDEPLOYDIR}/${IMAGE_NAME}${vname}${IMAGE_NAME_SUFFIX}.ubifs ${mkubifs_args}