diff --git a/tools/check_mpireports.py b/tools/check_mpireports.py
index 2c6b6a6e0b75a92c8c58afdc0b2110cf6c1415dc..72f9b2b674a7df801c5b6367c937ec6a43fd7186 100755
--- a/tools/check_mpireports.py
+++ b/tools/check_mpireports.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ for f in infiles:
                     + "/"
                     + words[tagcol]
                     + "/"
-                    + words[sizecol][1:]
+                    + words[sizecol].replace("-", "")
                 )
                 if words[typecol] == "send":
                     esends[key] = [line[:-1]]
diff --git a/tools/match_mpireports.py b/tools/match_mpireports.py
index da8a54512b166eedc3ee96d42b81a79c42a8a460..dd80ff3dc4b56f6d3cbe1f69a342b8adb42be2ed 100755
--- a/tools/match_mpireports.py
+++ b/tools/match_mpireports.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ for f in infiles:
                     + "/"
                     + words[tagcol]
                     + "/"
-                    + words[sizecol][1:]
+                    + words[sizecol].replace("-", "")
                 )
 
                 if not key in recvs: