diff --git a/layouts/v7/modules/Vtiger/uitypes/PickListFieldSearchView.tpl b/layouts/v7/modules/Vtiger/uitypes/PickListFieldSearchView.tpl
index bc8439bda49125dc42b23d5e9ed2f8d9b890da2b..fa6ea010f0bbe472b38e2aa515203300ed7cbd4d 100644
--- a/layouts/v7/modules/Vtiger/uitypes/PickListFieldSearchView.tpl
+++ b/layouts/v7/modules/Vtiger/uitypes/PickListFieldSearchView.tpl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     {if isset($SEARCH_INFO['searchValue']) && $SEARCH_INFO['searchValue'] !== null}
         {assign var=SEARCH_VALUES value=explode(',', $SEARCH_INFO['searchValue'])}
     {else}
-        {assign var=SEARCH_VALUES value=explode(',', '')}
+        {assign var=SEARCH_VALUES value=[]}
     {/if}
     <div class="select2_search_div">
         <input type="text" class="listSearchContributor inputElement select2_input_element"/>