diff --git a/etc/heat/templates/AWS_CloudWatch_Alarm.yaml b/etc/heat/templates/AWS_CloudWatch_Alarm.yaml
index d2c1e7b6fe..e21e500d69 100644
--- a/etc/heat/templates/AWS_CloudWatch_Alarm.yaml
+++ b/etc/heat/templates/AWS_CloudWatch_Alarm.yaml
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ Resources:
       threshold:
         Ref: Threshold
       alarm_actions:
-        "Fn::Split": [",", {Ref: AlarmActions}]
+        Ref: AlarmActions
       ok_actions:
-        "Fn::Split": [",", {Ref: OKActions}]
+        Ref: OKActions
       insufficient_data_actions:
-        "Fn::Split": [",", {Ref: InsufficientDataActions}]
+        Ref: InsufficientDataActions
       statistic:
         "Fn::FindInMap": [StatisticMap, {Ref: Statistic}, Ceilometer]
       comparison_operator:
         "Fn::FindInMap": [ComparisonOperatorMap, {Ref: ComparisonOperator}, Ceilometer]
       matching_metadata:
-        "Fn::MemberListToMap": [Name, Value, {"Fn::Split": [",", {Ref: Dimensions}]}]
+        "Fn::MemberListToMap": [Name, Value, {Ref: Dimensions}]
diff --git a/heat/engine/parameters.py b/heat/engine/parameters.py
index dd7d28611a..8bc0598ccf 100644
--- a/heat/engine/parameters.py
+++ b/heat/engine/parameters.py
@@ -316,9 +316,8 @@ class CommaDelimitedListParam(Parameter, collections.Sequence):
         # only parse when value is not already a list
         if isinstance(value, list):
             return value
-
         try:
-            if value:
+            if value is not None:
                 return value.split(',')
         except (KeyError, AttributeError) as err:
             message = _('Value must be a comma-delimited list string: %s')
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_parameters.py b/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
index b6dfc98ec3..e5a2d5c653 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_parameters.py
@@ -224,6 +224,12 @@ class ParameterTest(testtools.TestCase):
                                 self.new_parameter, 'p', schema, '2')
         self.assertIn('wibble', str(err))
 
+    def test_list_value_list_default_empty(self):
+        schema = {'Type': 'CommaDelimitedList'}
+        schema['Default'] = ''
+        p = self.new_parameter('p', schema)
+        self.assertEqual([''], p.value())
+
     def test_list_value_list_good(self):
         schema = {'Type': 'CommaDelimitedList',
                   'AllowedValues': ['foo', 'bar', 'baz']}