diff --git a/picard/script.py b/picard/script.py
index af7837fe1..e8490fe01 100644
--- a/picard/script.py
+++ b/picard/script.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ def func_set(parser, name, value):
 
 def func_setlist(parser, name, value, split_chars = '; '):
     """Sets the variable ``name`` to ``value`` as a list; splitting by the passed string."""
-    return func_set(parser, name, value.split(split_chars) if value else value)
+    return func_set(parser, name, value.split(split_chars) if value and split_chars else value)
 
 def func_get(parser, name):
     """Returns the variable ``name`` (equivalent to ``%name%``)."""
diff --git a/test/test_script.py b/test/test_script.py
index 89c38908e..0fa314970 100644
--- a/test/test_script.py
+++ b/test/test_script.py
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ class ScriptParserTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual("", self.parser.eval("$setlist(test,multi##valued##test##,##)", context)) # no return value
         self.assertEqual(["multi", "valued", "test"], context.getall("test"))
 
-    def test_cmd_setlist_empty_splitter_throws_error(self):
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, lambda x: x.parser.eval("$setlist(test,multivalued,)"), self)
+    def test_cmd_setlist_empty_splitter_does_nothing(self):
+        context = Metadata()
+        self.assertEqual("", self.parser.eval("$setlist(test,multi; valued,)", context)) # no return value
+        self.assertEqual(["multi; valued"], context.getall("test"))
 
     def test_cmd_get(self):
         context = Metadata()