diff --git a/heat/engine/parameters.py b/heat/engine/parameters.py
index 1ddbc90393..92d65bf56b 100644
--- a/heat/engine/parameters.py
+++ b/heat/engine/parameters.py
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ class Schema(constr.Schema):
                     raise exception.InvalidSchemaError(
                         message=_('Default must be a comma-delimited list '
                                   'string: %s') % err)
+            elif self.type == self.LIST and isinstance(self.default, list):
+                default_value = [encodeutils.safe_encode(six.text_type(x))
+                                 for x in self.default]
             try:
                 self.validate_constraints(default_value, context,
                                           [constr.CustomConstraint])
@@ -353,7 +356,8 @@ class CommaDelimitedListParam(Parameter, collections.Sequence):
     def parse(self, value):
         # only parse when value is not already a list
         if isinstance(value, list):
-            return value
+            return [encodeutils.safe_encode(six.text_type(x))
+                    for x in value]
         try:
             if value is not None:
                 if value == '':
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_parameters.py b/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
index 6851c72c6c..07b0904131 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
@@ -297,6 +297,13 @@ class ParameterTestSpecific(common.HeatTestCase):
         schema['Default'] = 'baz,foo,bar'
         p = new_parameter('p', schema)
         self.assertEqual('baz,foo,bar'.split(','), p.value())
+        schema['AllowedValues'] = ['1', '3', '5']
+        schema['Default'] = []
+        p = new_parameter('p', schema, [1, 3, 5])
+        self.assertEqual('1,3,5', str(p))
+        schema['Default'] = [1, 3, 5]
+        p = new_parameter('p', schema)
+        self.assertEqual('1,3,5'.split(','), p.value())
 
     def test_list_value_list_bad(self):
         schema = {'Type': 'CommaDelimitedList',