diff --git a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/config.bro b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/config.bro
index f97323d4a5..166228e81f 100644
--- a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/config.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/readers/config.bro
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ export {
 	const set_separator = Input::set_separator &redef;
 
 	## String to use for empty fields.
-	const empty_field = Input::empty_field &redef;
+	## By default this is the empty string, meaning that an empty input field
+	## will result in an empty set.
+	const empty_field = "" &redef;
 
 	## Fail on file read problems. If set to true, the config
 	## input reader will fail when encountering any problems
diff --git a/src/threading/formatters/Ascii.cc b/src/threading/formatters/Ascii.cc
index 1398a89d9b..e96290e793 100644
--- a/src/threading/formatters/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/threading/formatters/Ascii.cc
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ threading::Value* Ascii::ParseValue(const string& s, const string& name, TypeTag
 		if ( separators.empty_field.size() > 0 && s.compare(separators.empty_field) == 0 )
 			length = 0;
 
+		if ( separators.empty_field.empty() && s.empty() )
+			length = 0;
+
 		threading::Value** lvals = new threading::Value* [length];
 
 		if ( type == TYPE_TABLE )
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/basic.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/basic.bro
index 19a1ecc64a..3b72f6572d 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/basic.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/basic.bro
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ testinterval 60
 testtime 1507321987
 test_set a,b,c,d,erdbeerschnitzel
 test_vector 1,2,3,4,5,6
-test_set (empty)
+test_set 
 test_set -
 @TEST-END-FILE
 
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/read_config.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/read_config.bro
index 847bab6f8a..753186beab 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/read_config.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/config/read_config.bro
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 @load base/protocols/conn
 
 redef exit_only_after_terminate = T;
+redef InputConfig::empty_field = "(empty)";
 
 @TEST-START-FILE configfile
 testbool F