diff --git a/tools/cross-remote.sh b/tools/cross-remote.sh
index cf550960..028ec070 100755
--- a/tools/cross-remote.sh
+++ b/tools/cross-remote.sh
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ bs_host
 bs_context
 case "$BS_KIND:$BS_CRATE_REL" in
   node:*)
-    [ "${#CARGO_ARGS[@]}" -gt 0 ] || CARGO_ARGS=(build --release -p kaspad -p igneum-miner --features igneum-pow --target "$TARGET")
+    [ -n "${CARGO_ARGS[*]:-}" ] || CARGO_ARGS=(build --release -p kaspad -p igneum-miner --features igneum-pow --target "$TARGET")
     EXES="igneumd.exe igneum-miner.exe" ;;
   repo:app/igneum-app)
-    [ "${#CARGO_ARGS[@]}" -gt 0 ] || CARGO_ARGS=(build --release --target "$TARGET")
+    [ -n "${CARGO_ARGS[*]:-}" ] || CARGO_ARGS=(build --release --target "$TARGET")
     EXES="igneum-app.exe igneum-ota-sign.exe igneum-prove-verify.exe" ;;
   *) bs_die "cross-remote builds the fork (run from a vendor/igneum-node* worktree) or app/igneum-app, not $BS_CRATE_REL" ;;
 esac