diff --git a/qa/workunits/kclient/file_layout.sh b/qa/workunits/kclient/file_layout.sh
index 3b579a7d016..328b99fafb7 100755
--- a/qa/workunits/kclient/file_layout.sh
+++ b/qa/workunits/kclient/file_layout.sh
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ echo "hello, I'm a file with a custom layout" > layout_test/file2
 touch layout_test/file3
 cephfs layout_test/file3 show_layout > temp
 diff new_layout temp || return 1
-sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/*/mdsmap > temp
+sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/\*/mdsmap > temp
 ceph osd pool create newpool || true
 ceph mds add_data_pool 3 || true
-sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/*/mdsmap > temp2
+sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/\*/mdsmap > temp2
 while diff -q temp2 temp
 do
     echo "waiting for mdsmap to update"
     sleep 1
-    sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/*/mdsmap > temp2
+    sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/ceph/\*/mdsmap > temp2
 done
 sudo rm temp temp2