diff --git a/lib/puppet/util/posix.rb b/lib/puppet/util/posix.rb
index 2af0e4b91..fa2c609a7 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/util/posix.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/util/posix.rb
@@ -1,147 +1,137 @@
 # Utility methods for interacting with POSIX objects; mostly user and group
 module Puppet::Util::POSIX
 
   # This is a list of environment variables that we will set when we want to override the POSIX locale
   LOCALE_ENV_VARS = ['LANG', 'LC_ALL', 'LC_MESSAGES', 'LANGUAGE',
                            'LC_COLLATE', 'LC_CTYPE', 'LC_MONETARY', 'LC_NUMERIC', 'LC_TIME']
 
   # This is a list of user-related environment variables that we will unset when we want to provide a pristine
   # environment for "exec" runs
   USER_ENV_VARS = ['HOME', 'USER', 'LOGNAME']
 
 
 
   # Retrieve a field from a POSIX Etc object.  The id can be either an integer
   # or a name.  This only works for users and groups.  It's also broken on
   # some platforms, unfortunately, which is why we fall back to the other
   # method search_posix_field in the gid and uid methods if a sanity check
   # fails
   def get_posix_field(space, field, id)
     raise Puppet::DevError, "Did not get id from caller" unless id
 
     if id.is_a?(Integer)
       if id > Puppet[:maximum_uid].to_i
         Puppet.err "Tried to get #{field} field for silly id #{id}"
         return nil
       end
       method = methodbyid(space)
     else
       method = methodbyname(space)
     end
 
     begin
       return Etc.send(method, id).send(field)
     rescue NoMethodError, ArgumentError
       # ignore it; we couldn't find the object
       return nil
     end
   end
 
   # A degenerate method of retrieving name/id mappings.  The job of this method is
   # to retrieve all objects of a certain type, search for a specific entry
   # and then return a given field from that entry.
   def search_posix_field(type, field, id)
     idmethod = idfield(type)
     integer = false
     if id.is_a?(Integer)
       integer = true
       if id > Puppet[:maximum_uid].to_i
         Puppet.err "Tried to get #{field} field for silly id #{id}"
         return nil
       end
     end
 
     Etc.send(type) do |object|
       if integer and object.send(idmethod) == id
         return object.send(field)
       elsif object.name == id
         return object.send(field)
       end
     end
 
     # Apparently the group/passwd methods need to get reset; if we skip
     # this call, then new users aren't found.
     case type
     when :passwd; Etc.send(:endpwent)
     when :group; Etc.send(:endgrent)
     end
     nil
   end
 
   # Determine what the field name is for users and groups.
   def idfield(space)
     case space.intern
     when :gr, :group; return :gid
     when :pw, :user, :passwd; return :uid
     else
       raise ArgumentError.new("Can only handle users and groups")
     end
   end
 
   # Determine what the method is to get users and groups by id
   def methodbyid(space)
     case space.intern
     when :gr, :group; return :getgrgid
     when :pw, :user, :passwd; return :getpwuid
     else
       raise ArgumentError.new("Can only handle users and groups")
     end
   end
 
   # Determine what the method is to get users and groups by name
   def methodbyname(space)
     case space.intern
     when :gr, :group; return :getgrnam
     when :pw, :user, :passwd; return :getpwnam
     else
       raise ArgumentError.new("Can only handle users and groups")
     end
   end
 
-  # Get the GID of a given group, provided either a GID or a name
+  # Get the GID
   def gid(group)
-    begin
-      group = Integer(group)
-    rescue ArgumentError
-      # pass
-    end
-    if group.is_a?(Integer)
-      return nil unless name = get_posix_field(:group, :name, group)
-      gid = get_posix_field(:group, :gid, name)
-      check_value = gid
-    else
-      return nil unless gid = get_posix_field(:group, :gid, group)
-      name = get_posix_field(:group, :name, gid)
-      check_value = name
-    end
-    if check_value != group
-      return search_posix_field(:group, :gid, group)
-    else
-      return gid
-    end
+      get_posix_value(:group, :gid, group)
   end
 
-  # Get the UID of a given user, whether a UID or name is provided
+  # Get the UID
   def uid(user)
+      get_posix_value(:passwd, :uid, user)
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  # Get the specified id_field of a given field (user or group), 
+  # whether an ID name is provided
+  def get_posix_value(location, id_field, field)
     begin
-      user = Integer(user)
+      field = Integer(field)
     rescue ArgumentError
       # pass
     end
-    if user.is_a?(Integer)
-      return nil unless name = get_posix_field(:passwd, :name, user)
-      uid = get_posix_field(:passwd, :uid, name)
-      check_value = uid
+    if field.is_a?(Integer)
+      return nil unless name = get_posix_field(location, :name, field)
+      id = get_posix_field(location, id_field, name)
+      check_value = id
     else
-      return nil unless uid = get_posix_field(:passwd, :uid, user)
-      name = get_posix_field(:passwd, :name, uid)
+      return nil unless id = get_posix_field(location, id_field, field)
+      name = get_posix_field(location, :name, id)
       check_value = name
     end
-    if check_value != user
-      return search_posix_field(:passwd, :uid, user)
+    if check_value != field
+      return search_posix_field(location, id_field, field)
     else
-      return uid
+      return id
     end
   end
 end