diff --git a/lib/support/init.d/gitlab b/lib/support/init.d/gitlab
index f2923314d48e769e5708d9969e4059a1440fe809..a80e7e77430ce6823dacba99be5f6ccb6f738bff 100755
--- a/lib/support/init.d/gitlab
+++ b/lib/support/init.d/gitlab
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ stop_gitlab() {
   fi
   if [ "$gitlab_git_http_server_status" = "0" ]; then
     echo "Shutting down gitlab-git-http-server"
-    kill $(cat $gitlab_git_http_server_pid_path)
+    kill -- $(cat $gitlab_git_http_server_pid_path)
   fi
   if [ "$mail_room_enabled" = true ] && [ "$mail_room_status" = "0" ]; then
     echo "Shutting down GitLab MailRoom"