diff --git a/usr/share/rear/rescue/default/900_clone_users_and_groups.sh b/usr/share/rear/rescue/default/900_clone_users_and_groups.sh
index 4dac1d889a..740a8c5390 100644
--- a/usr/share/rear/rescue/default/900_clone_users_and_groups.sh
+++ b/usr/share/rear/rescue/default/900_clone_users_and_groups.sh
@@ -1,91 +1,41 @@
-#
-# 900_clone_users_and_groups.sh
-#
-# Copy users and groups into the ReaR recovery system.
+# copy required system users and groups to the rescue system
 
-local cloning_all="no"
-# When CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS is 'true' or 'all' copy users and groups
-# that exist on the current system into the ReaR recovery system
-# in addition to the users and groups in CLONE_USERS and CLONE_GROUPS
-# and regardless of duplicates because when duplicates exists already
-# in the ReaR recovery system they are skipped (see the code below).
-# When CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS contains a 'true' value, copy also
-# the users and groups from the /etc/passwd and /etc/group files:
-if is_true "$CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS" ; then
-    Log "Copying users and groups from /etc/passwd and /etc/group"
-    cloning_all="yes"
-    # Only keep valid user names (in particular exclude a NIS extension line '+::::::'):
-    CLONE_USERS=( "${CLONE_USERS[@]}" $( grep -o '^[[:alnum:]_][^:]*' /etc/passwd ) )
-    # Only keep valid group names (in particular exclude a NIS extension line '+:::'):
-    CLONE_GROUPS=( "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" $( grep -o '^[[:alnum:]_][^:]*' /etc/group ) )
+if [[ "$CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS" =~ ^[yY1] ]]; then
+    CLONE_USERS=($(cut -d ':' -f '1' /etc/passwd))
+    CLONE_GROUPS=($(cut -d ':' -f '1' /etc/group))
 fi
-# When CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS is 'all', copy also all users and groups
-# that are available on the current system into the ReaR recovery system:
-if test 'all' = "$CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS" ; then
-    Log "Copying all users and groups that are available via 'getent'"
-    cloning_all="yes"
-    # Only keep valid user names:
-    CLONE_USERS=( "${CLONE_USERS[@]}" $( getent passwd | grep -o '^[[:alnum:]_][^:]*' ) )
-    # Only keep valid group names:
-    CLONE_GROUPS=( "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" $( getent group | grep -o '^[[:alnum:]_][^:]*' ) )
-fi
-
-local user=""
-local passwd_entry=""
-local groupID=""
-local group_entry=""
-local group=""
 
-# For the 'test' one must have all array members as a single word i.e. "${name[*]}"
-# because it should succeed when there is any non-empty array member, not necessarily the first one:
-test "${CLONE_USERS[*]}" && Log "Cloning users: ${CLONE_USERS[@]}"
-for user in "${CLONE_USERS[@]}" ; do
-    # Skip if the user exists already in the ReaR recovery system:
-    grep -q "^$user:" $ROOTFS_DIR/etc/passwd && continue
-    # Skip if the user does not exist in the current system:
-    if ! passwd_entry="$( getent passwd $user )" ; then
-        Debug "Cannot clone user $user because it does not exist"
-        continue
-    fi
-    # When CLONE_ALL_USERS_GROUPS was used above, assume
-    # the users and groups in CLONE_USERS and CLONE_GROUPS
-    # are consistent so that the user's group is in CLONE_GROUPS:
-    if is_true "$cloning_all" ; then
-        # Add the user to /etc/passwd in the ReaR recovery system and
-        # proceed with the next user without further group tests:
-        echo "$passwd_entry" >>$ROOTFS_DIR/etc/passwd
-        continue
-    fi
-    # Prepare to also add the user's group to the CLONE_GROUPS array:
-    # passwd_entry="user:password:UID:GID:description:HOMEdirectory:shell"
-    groupID="$( cut -d ':' -f '4' <<<"$passwd_entry" )"
-    if ! group_entry="$( getent group $groupID )" ; then
-        Debug "Cannot clone user $user because its group $groupID does not exist"
-        continue
-    fi
-    # Add the user to /etc/passwd in the ReaR recovery system:
-    echo "$passwd_entry" >>$ROOTFS_DIR/etc/passwd
-    # Add the user's group to the CLONE_GROUPS array (unless already there):
-    # group_entry="group:passwd:GID:userlist"
-    group="${group_entry%%:*}"
-    # Skip if the group is already in the CLONE_GROUPS array:
-    IsInArray "$group" "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" && continue
-    # Add the user's group to the CLONE_GROUPS array:
-    CLONE_GROUPS=( "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" "$group" )
+Log "Cloning users: ${CLONE_USERS[@]}"
+for u in "${CLONE_USERS[@]}" ; do
+	# go over all users
+	if pwd=$(getent passwd "$u") ; then
+		# pwd="daemon:x:2:2:Daemon:/sbin:/bin/bash"
+		# if the user exists, add to the passwd in rescue system
+		# skip if this user exists already in the rescue system
+		grep -q "^$pwd:" $ROOTFS_DIR/etc/passwd && continue
+		echo "$pwd" >>$ROOTFS_DIR/etc/passwd
+		# strip gid from passwd line
+		pwd="${pwd#*:*:*:}"
+		gid=${pwd%%:*}
+		# add gid to groups to collect
+		CLONE_GROUPS=( "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" "$gid" )
+	else
+		Debug "WARNING: Could not collect user info for '$u'"
+	fi
 done
 
-# For the 'test' one must have all array members as a single word i.e. "${name[*]}"
-# because it should succeed when there is any non-empty array member, not necessarily the first one:
-test "${CLONE_GROUPS[*]}" && Log "Cloning groups: ${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}"
-for group in "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" ; do
-    # Skip if the group exists already in the ReaR recovery system:
-    grep -q "^$group:" $ROOTFS_DIR/etc/group && continue
-    # Skip if the group does not exist in the current system:
-    if ! group_entry="$( getent group $group )" ; then
-        Debug "Cannot clone group $group because it does not exist"
-        continue
-    fi
-    # Add the group to /etc/group in the ReaR recovery system:
-    echo "$group_entry" >>$ROOTFS_DIR/etc/group
+Log "Cloning groups: ${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}"
+for g in "${CLONE_GROUPS[@]}" ; do
+	# go over all users
+	if grp=$(getent group "$g") ; then
+		# grp="daemon:x:2:"
+		# if the group  exists, add to the group in rescue system
+		# skip if this user exists already in the rescue system
+		grep -q "^$grp" $ROOTFS_DIR/etc/group && continue
+		echo "$grp" >>$ROOTFS_DIR/etc/group
+	else
+		Debug "WARNING: Could not collect group info for '$g'"
+	fi
 done
 
+