diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutor.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutor.groovy
index bcb0cbfa84..4bfbf6920a 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutor.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutor.groovy
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class PbsProExecutor extends PbsExecutor {
         if( queue ) {
             cmd += queue
         } else {
-            cmd += '$( qstat -B | grep -E -v \'(^Server|^---)\' | awk -v ORS=\' \' \'{print \"@\"\$1}\' )'
+            cmd += '$( qstat -B | grep -E -v \'(^Server|^---)\' | awk -v ORS=\' \' \'{if (\$1 != \"\") print \"@\"\$1}\' )'
         }
         return ['bash','-c', "set -o pipefail; $cmd | { grep -E '(Job Id:|job_state =)' || true; }".toString()]
     }
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutorTest.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutorTest.groovy
index b9b4ec164b..4de6bd3e28 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutorTest.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/executor/PbsProExecutorTest.groovy
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class PbsProExecutorTest extends Specification {
         def executor = [:] as PbsProExecutor
 
         expect:
-        executor.queueStatusCommand(null) == ['bash','-c', "set -o pipefail; qstat -f \$( qstat -B | grep -E -v '(^Server|^---)' | awk -v ORS=' ' '{print \"@\"\$1}' ) | { grep -E '(Job Id:|job_state =)' || true; }"]
+        executor.queueStatusCommand(null) == ['bash','-c', "set -o pipefail; qstat -f \$( qstat -B | grep -E -v '(^Server|^---)' | awk -v ORS=' ' '{if (\$1 != \"\") print \"@\"\$1}' ) | { grep -E '(Job Id:|job_state =)' || true; }"]
         executor.queueStatusCommand('xxx') == ['bash','-c', "set -o pipefail; qstat -f xxx | { grep -E '(Job Id:|job_state =)' || true; }"]
         executor.queueStatusCommand('xxx').each { assert it instanceof String }
     }