diff --git a/package/firewall/Makefile b/package/firewall/Makefile
index a8a62c287..7103a176d 100644
--- a/package/firewall/Makefile
+++ b/package/firewall/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 PKG_NAME:=firewall
 
 PKG_VERSION:=2
-PKG_RELEASE:=23
+PKG_RELEASE:=24
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 
diff --git a/package/firewall/files/lib/core_interface.sh b/package/firewall/files/lib/core_interface.sh
index aff664180..ed6a4b150 100644
--- a/package/firewall/files/lib/core_interface.sh
+++ b/package/firewall/files/lib/core_interface.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ fw__uci_state_add() {
 	local var="$1"
 	local item="$2"
 
-	local val="$(uci_get_state firewall core $var)"
+	local val=" $(uci_get_state firewall core $var) "
+	val="${val// $item / }"
+	val="${val# }"
+	val="${val% }"
 	uci_set_state firewall core $var "${val:+$val }$item"
 }