diff --git a/iiab-support b/iiab-support
index 9eee4fbd6..7896579eb 100755
--- a/iiab-support
+++ b/iiab-support
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ INVENTORY="ansible_hosts"
 # openvpn_handle is stored in 2 files on disk, one slightly stripped down (from
 # the other) due to Ansible.  So we emulate Ansible's behavior, when reading from
 # (and later writing to) disk, removing outer cruft as explained on Lines 31-33:
-handle1=$(grep "^openvpn_handle:" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml | sed "s/^openvpn_handle://; s/^\s*//; s/\s*$//; s/^\(['\"]\)\(.*\)\1$/\2/")
+handle1=$(grep "^openvpn_handle:\s" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml | sed "s/^openvpn_handle:\s\+//; s/#.*//; s/\s*$//; s/^\(['\"]\)\(.*\)\1$/\2/")
 # 2021-08-17: bash scripts using default_vars.yml &/or local_vars.yml
 # https://github.com/iiab/iiab-factory/blob/master/iiab#L79-L97
 # https://github.com/iiab/iiab/blob/master/roles/firmware/templates/iiab-check-firmware#L12
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ read ans < /dev/tty
 #if [ "$ans" != "" ] || ( [ "$handle1" = "" ] && [ ! -f /etc/iiab/openvpn_handle ] ); then
 # -v (below) checks if var's defined: equivalent to file existence test above
 if [ "$ans" != "" ] || ( [ "$handle1" = "" ] && [ ! -v handle2 ] ); then
-    if grep -q '^openvpn_handle:' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
-        sed -i "s/^openvpn_handle:.*/openvpn_handle: $ans/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+    if grep -q '^openvpn_handle:\s' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
+        sed -i "s/^openvpn_handle:\s.*/openvpn_handle: $ans/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
     else
         echo "openvpn_handle: $ans" >> /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
     fi
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ else
     echo -e "\n\e[1mWARNING: openvpn_handle remains unchanged in both above files.\e[0m\n"
 fi
 
-if grep -q '^openvpn_installed: True\b' /etc/iiab/iiab_state.yml; then
+if grep -q '^openvpn_installed:\s\+[tT]rue\b' /etc/iiab/iiab_state.yml; then
     echo -e "Your IIAB installation appears normal, with OpenVPN already installed...\n"
 else
     echo -e "Plz wait a few minutes as sshd, iiab-admin & OpenVPN are confirmed/installed...\n"
-    if grep -q '^openvpn_install:' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
-        sed -i "s/^openvpn_install:.*/openvpn_install: True/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+    if grep -q '^openvpn_install:\s' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
+        sed -i "s/^openvpn_install:\s.*/openvpn_install: True/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
     else
         echo "openvpn_install: True" >> /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
     fi
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ else
 fi
 
 echo -e "Now let's (re)enable OpenVPN...\n"
-if grep -q '^openvpn_enabled:' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
-    sed -i "s/^openvpn_enabled:.*/openvpn_enabled: True/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+if grep -q '^openvpn_enabled:\s' /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml; then
+    sed -i "s/^openvpn_enabled:\s.*/openvpn_enabled: True/" /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
 else
     echo "openvpn_enabled: True" >> /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
 fi