diff --git a/SystemTools.cxx b/SystemTools.cxx
index 209121cdefc5c0a1d19f3fb764b39d10d3fca9d9..0f70b249094b28e906f2d44cd63e240774f4467a 100644
--- a/SystemTools.cxx
+++ b/SystemTools.cxx
@@ -2170,7 +2170,7 @@ SystemToolsAppendComponents(
         out_components.erase(out_components.end()-1, out_components.end());
         }
       }
-    else if(*i != "." && *i != "")
+    else if(!(*i == ".") && !(*i != ""))
       {
       out_components.push_back(*i);
       }