diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/ansible_freeipa_module.py b/plugins/module_utils/ansible_freeipa_module.py
index 190f585a25bc5169ac53032b680bb00603ed6b72..1c40fa2ca20aed0c5e71e50aa8278e5de768ce48 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/ansible_freeipa_module.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/ansible_freeipa_module.py
@@ -470,12 +470,11 @@ def _afm_convert(value):
     return value
 
 
-def module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_string=False):
+def module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_list_item=False):
     value = _afm_convert(module.params.get(name))
 
-    # Fail on empty strings in the list or if allow_empty_string is True
-    # if there is another entry in the list together with the empty
-    # string.
+    # Fail on empty strings in the list or if allow_empty_list_item is True
+    # if there is another entry in the list together with the empty string.
     # Due to an issue in Ansible it is possible to use the empty string
     # "" for lists with choices, even if the empty list is not part of
     # the choices.
@@ -483,7 +482,7 @@ def module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_string=False):
     if isinstance(value, list):
         for val in value:
             if isinstance(val, (str, unicode)) and not val:
-                if not allow_empty_string:
+                if not allow_empty_list_item:
                     module.fail_json(
                         msg="Parameter '%s' contains an empty string" %
                         name)
@@ -495,8 +494,8 @@ def module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_string=False):
     return value
 
 
-def module_params_get_lowercase(module, name, allow_empty_string=False):
-    value = module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_string)
+def module_params_get_lowercase(module, name, allow_empty_list_item=False):
+    value = module_params_get(module, name, allow_empty_list_item)
     if isinstance(value, list):
         value = [v.lower() for v in value]
     if isinstance(value, (str, unicode)):
@@ -1051,7 +1050,7 @@ class IPAAnsibleModule(AnsibleModule):
             finally:
                 temp_kdestroy(ccache_dir, ccache_name)
 
-    def params_get(self, name, allow_empty_string=False):
+    def params_get(self, name, allow_empty_list_item=False):
         """
         Retrieve value set for module parameter.
 
@@ -1059,13 +1058,13 @@ class IPAAnsibleModule(AnsibleModule):
         ----------
         name: string
             The name of the parameter to retrieve.
-        allow_empty_string: bool
+        allow_empty_list_item: bool
             The parameter allowes to have empty strings in a list
 
         """
-        return module_params_get(self, name, allow_empty_string)
+        return module_params_get(self, name, allow_empty_list_item)
 
-    def params_get_lowercase(self, name, allow_empty_string=False):
+    def params_get_lowercase(self, name, allow_empty_list_item=False):
         """
         Retrieve value set for module parameter as lowercase, if not None.
 
@@ -1073,11 +1072,11 @@ class IPAAnsibleModule(AnsibleModule):
         ----------
         name: string
             The name of the parameter to retrieve.
-        allow_empty_string: bool
+        allow_empty_list_item: bool
             The parameter allowes to have empty strings in a list
 
         """
-        return module_params_get_lowercase(self, name, allow_empty_string)
+        return module_params_get_lowercase(self, name, allow_empty_list_item)
 
     def params_fail_used_invalid(self, invalid_params, state, action=None):
         """
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ipaconfig.py b/plugins/modules/ipaconfig.py
index a32376cc425886a291ff03b6ca62429f0e803f38..b94b3c7262d6a905b23fd379bc89a921097d731e 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ipaconfig.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ipaconfig.py
@@ -470,13 +470,13 @@ def main():
         "netbios_name": "netbios_name",
         "add_sids": "add_sids",
     }
-    allow_empty_string = ["pac_type", "user_auth_type", "configstring"]
     reverse_field_map = {v: k for k, v in field_map.items()}
+    allow_empty_list_item = ["pac_type", "user_auth_type", "configstring"]
 
     params = {}
     for x in field_map:
         val = ansible_module.params_get(
-            x, allow_empty_string=x in allow_empty_string)
+            x, allow_empty_list_item=(x in allow_empty_list_item))
 
         if val is not None:
             params[field_map.get(x, x)] = val
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ipahost.py b/plugins/modules/ipahost.py
index e5e2f465247c6c25f18a55b2bb00e90ba9a510dd..8daf1c42ca9d648ac5eeabcabea6daf9fdebc19b 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ipahost.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ipahost.py
@@ -876,10 +876,11 @@ def main():
     allow_retrieve_keytab_hostgroup = ansible_module.params_get(
         "allow_retrieve_keytab_hostgroup")
     mac_address = ansible_module.params_get("mac_address")
-    sshpubkey = ansible_module.params_get("sshpubkey",
-                                          allow_empty_string=True)
+    sshpubkey = ansible_module.params_get(
+        "sshpubkey", allow_empty_list_item=True)
     userclass = ansible_module.params_get("userclass")
-    auth_ind = ansible_module.params_get("auth_ind", allow_empty_string=True)
+    auth_ind = ansible_module.params_get(
+        "auth_ind", allow_empty_list_item=True)
     requires_pre_auth = ansible_module.params_get("requires_pre_auth")
     ok_as_delegate = ansible_module.params_get("ok_as_delegate")
     ok_to_auth_as_delegate = ansible_module.params_get(
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ipaservice.py b/plugins/modules/ipaservice.py
index d0f560989fe2a875c128bc66549cde7f1378340c..533eed36a387da452a5001e01bfb5cf1048aaea4 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ipaservice.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ipaservice.py
@@ -607,8 +607,10 @@ def main():
     # white space also.
     if certificate is not None:
         certificate = [cert.strip() for cert in certificate]
-    pac_type = ansible_module.params_get("pac_type", allow_empty_string=True)
-    auth_ind = ansible_module.params_get("auth_ind", allow_empty_string=True)
+    pac_type = ansible_module.params_get(
+        "pac_type", allow_empty_list_item=True)
+    auth_ind = ansible_module.params_get(
+        "auth_ind", allow_empty_list_item=True)
     skip_host_check = ansible_module.params_get("skip_host_check")
     force = ansible_module.params_get("force")
     requires_pre_auth = ansible_module.params_get("requires_pre_auth")
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ipauser.py b/plugins/modules/ipauser.py
index dcea92f4678184cf1ee1f1dadf3428cbb30cb70e..03bf8af72213f357e7090b2495d3f23d8e87304f 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ipauser.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ipauser.py
@@ -1185,9 +1185,9 @@ def main():
     manager = ansible_module.params_get("manager")
     carlicense = ansible_module.params_get("carlicense")
     sshpubkey = ansible_module.params_get("sshpubkey",
-                                          allow_empty_string=True)
+                                          allow_empty_list_item=True)
     userauthtype = ansible_module.params_get("userauthtype",
-                                             allow_empty_string=True)
+                                             allow_empty_list_item=True)
     userclass = ansible_module.params_get("userclass")
     radius = ansible_module.params_get("radius")
     radiususer = ansible_module.params_get("radiususer")