diff --git a/cmd/config_init.go b/cmd/config_init.go
index 86a69914..584d382e 100644
--- a/cmd/config_init.go
+++ b/cmd/config_init.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ override the options.`,
 		s := &settings.Settings{
 			Key:        generateKey(),
 			Signup:     mustGetBool(flags, "signup"),
-			Shell:      strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(mustGetString(flags, "shell")), " "),
+			Shell:      convertCmdStrToCmdArray(mustGetString(flags, "shell")),
 			AuthMethod: authMethod,
 			Defaults:   defaults,
 			Branding: settings.Branding{
diff --git a/cmd/config_set.go b/cmd/config_set.go
index 9b49b234..e959bc97 100644
--- a/cmd/config_set.go
+++ b/cmd/config_set.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"strings"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ you want to change. Other options will remain unchanged.`,
 			case "auth.method":
 				hasAuth = true
 			case "shell":
-				set.Shell = strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(mustGetString(flags, flag.Name)), " ")
+				set.Shell = convertCmdStrToCmdArray(mustGetString(flags, flag.Name))
 			case "branding.name":
 				set.Branding.Name = mustGetString(flags, flag.Name)
 			case "branding.disableExternal":
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index bd5ec2f3..f0ff8a26 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/asdine/storm"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -178,3 +179,15 @@ func cleanUpMapValue(v interface{}) interface{} {
 		return v
 	}
 }
+
+// convertCmdStrToCmdArray checks if cmd string is blank (whitespace included)
+// then returns empty string array, else returns the splitted word array of cmd.
+// This is to ensure the result will never be []string{""}
+func convertCmdStrToCmdArray(cmd string) []string {
+	var cmdArray []string
+	trimmedCmdStr := strings.TrimSpace(cmd)
+	if trimmedCmdStr != "" {
+		cmdArray = strings.Split(trimmedCmdStr, " ")
+	}
+	return cmdArray
+}