diff --git a/bin/load_average b/bin/load_average
index b0c5ef40..280fa695 100755
--- a/bin/load_average
+++ b/bin/load_average
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ "$1" = "--detail" ]; then
 	exit 0
 fi
 
-printf "\005{= Yk}%s\005{-} " $(cat /proc/loadavg | cut -d " " -f -1)
+printf "\005{= Yk}%s\005{-} " $(awk '{print $1}' /proc/loadavg)
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 7101ac70..577beb30 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ byobu (2.12) unreleased; urgency=low
     performance improvements
   * bin/updates_available: drop "cat", and just use grep, performance
     improvement
+  * bin/load_average: drop "cat", and just use awk, performance
+    improvement
 
- -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:38:21 -0500
+ -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:46:37 -0500
 
 byobu (2.11-0ubuntu1) karmic; urgency=low