diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types.go
index 068278264fd..c4414f2e15a 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types.go
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func (arrayOrString *ArrayOrString) ApplyReplacements(stringReplacements map[str
 	if arrayOrString.Type == ParamTypeString {
 		arrayOrString.StringVal = substitution.ApplyReplacements(arrayOrString.StringVal, stringReplacements)
 	} else {
-		var newArrayVal []string
+		newArrayVal := []string{}
 		for _, v := range arrayOrString.ArrayVal {
 			newArrayVal = append(newArrayVal, substitution.ApplyArrayReplacements(v, stringReplacements, arrayReplacements)...)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types_test.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types_test.go
index b9dedac0100..d288d28e5c8 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/param_types_test.go
@@ -200,7 +200,18 @@ func TestArrayOrString_ApplyReplacements(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		expectedOutput: v1beta1.NewArrayOrString("firstvalue", "array", "value", "lastvalue", "asdf", "sdfsd"),
 	}, {
-		name: "empty array replacement",
+		name: "empty array replacement without extra elements",
+		args: args{
+			// input:             v1beta1.NewArrayOrString("$(arraykey)"),
+			input: &v1beta1.ArrayOrString{
+				Type:     v1beta1.ParamTypeArray,
+				ArrayVal: []string{"$(arraykey)"},
+			},
+			arrayReplacements: map[string][]string{"arraykey": {}},
+		},
+		expectedOutput: &v1beta1.ArrayOrString{Type: v1beta1.ParamTypeArray, ArrayVal: []string{}},
+	}, {
+		name: "empty array replacement with extra elements",
 		args: args{
 			input:              v1beta1.NewArrayOrString("firstvalue", "$(arraykey)", "lastvalue"),
 			stringReplacements: map[string]string{"some": "value", "anotherkey": "value"},