diff --git a/rel/app/env.sh.eex b/rel/app/env.sh.eex
index 300fc16ab..f87af40f2 100644
--- a/rel/app/env.sh.eex
+++ b/rel/app/env.sh.eex
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ export LIVEBOOK_PORT=0
 cookie_path="${RELEASE_ROOT}/releases/COOKIE"
 if [ ! -f $cookie_path ]; then
   RELEASE_COOKIE=$(cat /dev/urandom | env LC_ALL=C tr -dc 'a-zA-Z0-9' | fold -w 32 | head -n 1)
-  [[ $RELEASE_COOKIE > $cookie_path ]] || export RELEASE_COOKIE
+  echo "$RELEASE_COOKIE" > "$cookie_path"
+  [ $? -eq 0 ] || export RELEASE_COOKIE
 fi
 
 cd $HOME
diff --git a/rel/server/env.sh.eex b/rel/server/env.sh.eex
index edc85bdf9..205f3211e 100644
--- a/rel/server/env.sh.eex
+++ b/rel/server/env.sh.eex
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@ export RELEASE_MODE=interactive
 cookie_path="${RELEASE_ROOT}/releases/COOKIE"
 if [ ! -f $cookie_path ]; then
   RELEASE_COOKIE=$(cat /dev/urandom | env LC_ALL=C tr -dc 'a-zA-Z0-9' | fold -w 32 | head -n 1)
-  [[ $RELEASE_COOKIE > $cookie_path ]] || export RELEASE_COOKIE
+  echo "$RELEASE_COOKIE" > "$cookie_path"
+  [ $? -eq 0 ] || export RELEASE_COOKIE
 fi