diff --git a/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk b/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
index 96333e4a89..61c258674d 100644
--- a/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
+++ b/contrib/scripts/safe_asterisk
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ message() {
 
 # Check if Asterisk is already running.  If it is, then bug out, because
 # starting safe_asterisk when Asterisk is running is very bad.
-VERSION=`${ASTSBINDIR}/asterisk -rx 'core show version'`
+VERSION=`${ASTSBINDIR}/asterisk -nrx 'core show version'`
 if test "`echo $VERSION | cut -c 1-8`" = "Asterisk" ; then
 	message "Asterisk is already running.  $0 will exit now."
 	exit 1