diff --git a/bin/logo b/bin/logo
index f455e68e..16fa6c78 100755
--- a/bin/logo
+++ b/bin/logo
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ fi
 
 if [ -r "/etc/issue" ]; then
 	# Otherwise, check /etc/issue
-	distro=`cat /etc/issue`
+	distro=`grep -m1 "^[A-Za-z]" /etc/issue`
 	print_logo "$distro" && exit 0 || true
 fi
 
diff --git a/bin/release b/bin/release
index 8a15acb5..ff1c03df 100755
--- a/bin/release
+++ b/bin/release
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ elif [ -r "/etc/palm-build-info" ]; then
 	DISTRO=$(grep "^PRODUCT_VERSION_STRING=Palm " /etc/palm-build-info | sed "s/^.*=Palm //")
 elif [ -r "/etc/issue" ]; then
 	# Otherwise, grab part of /etc/issue, ideally the distro and version
-	DISTRO=$(head -n1 /etc/issue | sed "s/ [^0-9]* / /" | awk '{print $1 " " $2}')
+	DISTRO=$(grep -m1 "^[A-Za-z]" /etc/issue | sed "s/ [^0-9]* / /" | awk '{print $1 " " $2}')
 else
 	DISTRO="Byobu"
 fi
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 8566650d..65442a99 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ byobu (2.46) unreleased; urgency=low
   * byobu-config, doc/help.txt: insert version number in byobu help menu,
     LP: #502119
   * bin/network: match interface a bit better for bridges, LP: #498722
+  * bin/logo, bin/release: when looking at /etc/issue, grab the first
+    line that starts with a real letter rather than control character,
+    LP: #432751
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:53:14 -0600