diff --git a/package/skeleton-init-openrc/skeleton-init-openrc.mk b/package/skeleton-init-openrc/skeleton-init-openrc.mk
index 656fc531d7..b0538ad03f 100644
--- a/package/skeleton-init-openrc/skeleton-init-openrc.mk
+++ b/package/skeleton-init-openrc/skeleton-init-openrc.mk
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW),y)
 # Comment /dev/root entry in fstab. When openrc does not find fstab entry for
 # "/", it will try to remount "/" as "rw".
 define SKELETON_INIT_OPENRC_ROOT_RO_OR_RW
-	$(SED) '\:^/dev/root :s/^/# /' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
+	$(SED) '\:^/dev/root[[:blank:]]:s/^/# /' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
 endef
 else
 # Uncomment /dev/root entry in fstab which has "ro" option so openrc notices
 # it and doesn't remount root to rw.
 define SKELETON_INIT_OPENRC_ROOT_RO_OR_RW
-	$(SED) '\:^# /dev/root:s/^# //' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
+	$(SED) '\:^#[[:blank:]]*/dev/root[[:blank:]]:s/^# //' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
 endef
 endif # BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW