diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_functions.py b/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_functions.py
index f8e69a9f4165d6..535bcadec7266f 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_functions.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_functions.py
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ def test_it(sspec, value, res_value, states):
 
         test_it(('a', 'b', 'c'), MockTclObj('val'), 'val', ('a', 'b', 'c'))
 
+        spec = (MockStateSpec('a'), '#fff', MockStateSpec(''), '#ccc')
+        self.assertEqual(ttk._list_from_statespec(spec),
+                         [('a', '#fff'), ('', '#ccc')])
 
     def test_list_from_layouttuple(self):
         tk = MockTkApp()
diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/ttk.py b/Lib/tkinter/ttk.py
index c7c71cd5a559cf..9445e1614fed73 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/ttk.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/ttk.py
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ def _list_from_statespec(stuple):
         else: # this is a Tcl object
             val = str(val)
             if typename == 'StateSpec':
-                val = val.split()
+                val = val.split() if val else ''
             nval.append(val)
 
     it = iter(nval)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-11-12-01-08-18.bpo-42328.xs9QXy.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-11-12-01-08-18.bpo-42328.xs9QXy.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..313b53ee8c4fbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2020-11-12-01-08-18.bpo-42328.xs9QXy.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Ammend the ttk._list_from_statespec function to correctly return the state
+specification for the ttk map when a default state is given.