diff --git a/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go b/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go
index d2f5e4e58601a..819fadaddc50f 100644
--- a/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go
+++ b/cli/cliflag/cliflag.go
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ func StringVarP(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, p *string, name string, shorthand string
 func StringArrayVarP(flagset *pflag.FlagSet, ptr *[]string, name string, shorthand string, env string, def []string, usage string) {
 	val, ok := os.LookupEnv(env)
 	if ok {
-		def = strings.Split(val, ",")
+		if val == "" {
+			def = []string{}
+		} else {
+			def = strings.Split(val, ",")
+		}
 	}
 	flagset.StringArrayVarP(ptr, name, shorthand, def, usage)
 }
diff --git a/cli/cliflag/cliflag_test.go b/cli/cliflag/cliflag_test.go
index 96b2c321c7442..051707c97cbc7 100644
--- a/cli/cliflag/cliflag_test.go
+++ b/cli/cliflag/cliflag_test.go
@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@ func TestCliflag(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, []string{"wow", "test"}, got)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("StringArrayEnvVarEmpty", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var ptr []string
+		flagset, name, shorthand, env, usage := randomFlag()
+		t.Setenv(env, "")
+		cliflag.StringArrayVarP(flagset, &ptr, name, shorthand, env, nil, usage)
+		got, err := flagset.GetStringArray(name)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, []string{}, got)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("IntDefault", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var ptr uint8
 		flagset, name, shorthand, env, usage := randomFlag()