diff --git a/rt/spider/mf/Core/intel/intel.lua b/rt/spider/mf/Core/intel/intel.lua
index 830797fd8..a280d0d80 100644
--- a/rt/spider/mf/Core/intel/intel.lua
+++ b/rt/spider/mf/Core/intel/intel.lua
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ prepend_path('MANPATH',         '/vol/local/intel/idb/idb/man')
 prepend_path('MANPATH',        '/vol/local/intel/mkl/mkl/man')
 setenv(      'MKL_DIR',	       '/vol/local/intel/mkl/mkl/lib/lib')
 setenv(      'MKL_INCLUDE',    '/vol/local/intel/mkl/mkl/include')
-prepend_path('LD_LIBRARY_PATH','/vol/local/intel/mkl/mkl/lib/lib')
+prepend_path('LD_LIBRARY_PATH','/vol/local/intel/mkl/mkl/lib/lib:')
 
 family("compiler")
 
diff --git a/rt/spider/spider.tdesc b/rt/spider/spider.tdesc
index e028202f3..766dcde81 100644
--- a/rt/spider/spider.tdesc
+++ b/rt/spider/spider.tdesc
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ testdescript = {
 
      unsetMT
 
-     rm $HOME/.cache/lmod/spiderT.lua
+     rm -f $HOME/.cache/lmod/spiderT.lua
      export MODULEPATH_ROOT2=$testDir/mf2
      export MODULEPATH=$MODULEPATH_ROOT2/Core
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ testdescript = {
      # Test writing of user cache
 
      export LMOD_SHORT_TIME=0
-     rm $HOME/.cache/lmod/*
+     rm -f $HOME/.cache/lmod/*
      runLmod      spider                                                      #71
 
 
diff --git a/src/modfuncs.lua b/src/modfuncs.lua
index 8c52b6859..08014b62a 100644
--- a/src/modfuncs.lua
+++ b/src/modfuncs.lua
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ function load_any(...)
    return b
 end   
 
+local s_cleanupDirT = { PATH = true, LD_LIBRARY_PATH = true, MODULEPATH = true }
+
 --- PATH functions ---
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- convert arguments into a table if necessary.
@@ -224,22 +226,39 @@ local function l_convert2table(...)
 
    if (argA.n == 1 and type(argA[1]) == "table" ) then
       t = argA[1]
-      t[1] = t[1]:trim()
+      t[1] = t[1]
    else
-      t[1]    = argA[1]:trim()
+      t[1]    = argA[1]
       t[2]    = argA[2]
       t.delim = argA[3]
    end
+   
    t.priority = tonumber(t.priority or "0")
    return t
 end
 
+local function l_cleanupPathArgs(t)
+   local name = t[1]:trim()
+   local path = t[2]:trim()
+   
+   if (s_cleanupDirT[name]) then
+      path = path:gsub(":+$",""):gsub("^:+","")
+      t[2] = path
+   end
+
+   return t
+end
+
+
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Prepend a value to a path like variable.
 function prepend_path(...)
    local t = l_convert2table(...)
    dbg.start{"prepend_path(",l_concatTbl(t,", "),")"}
    if (not l_validateStringTable(2, "prepend_path",t)) then return end
+   l_cleanupPathArgs(t)
+
+   
 
    mcp:prepend_path(t)
    dbg.fini("prepend_path")
@@ -251,7 +270,7 @@ function append_path(...)
    local t = l_convert2table(...)
    dbg.start{"append_path(",l_concatTbl(t,", "),")"}
    if (not l_validateStringTable(2, "append_path",t)) then return end
-
+   l_cleanupPathArgs(t)
    mcp:append_path(t)
    dbg.fini("append_path")
 end
@@ -262,7 +281,7 @@ function remove_path(...)
    local t = l_convert2table(...)
    dbg.start{"remove_path(",l_concatTbl(t,", "),")"}
    if (not l_validateStringTable(2, "remove_path",t)) then return end
-
+   l_cleanupPathArgs(t)
    mcp:remove_path(t)
    dbg.fini("remove_path")
 end