diff --git a/scripts/common_startup_functions.sh b/scripts/common_startup_functions.sh
index 0e3339d943c..0a4633eb882 100644
--- a/scripts/common_startup_functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/common_startup_functions.sh
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ setup_gravity_state_dir() {
     # $GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV is expected to be set, and cwd must be galaxy root
     if ! grep -q '^GRAVITY_STATE_DIR=' "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"; then
         echo "Setting \$GRAVITY_STATE_DIR in ${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
-        echo '\n# Galaxy Gravity per-instance state directory configured by Galaxy common_startup.sh' >> "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
+        echo '' >> "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
+        echo '# Galaxy Gravity per-instance state directory configured by Galaxy common_startup.sh' >> "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
         echo "GRAVITY_STATE_DIR='$(pwd)/database/gravity'" >> "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
         echo 'export GRAVITY_STATE_DIR' >> "${GALAXY_VIRTUAL_ENV}/bin/activate"
     fi