diff --git a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/config/AppContext.scala b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/config/AppContext.scala
index 6f7ad8b..a9bbbbd 100644
--- a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/config/AppContext.scala
+++ b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/config/AppContext.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ case class AppContext @Inject() (config: DefaultServicesConfig) {
   val apiContext: String = current.getString(s"api.context").getOrElse(throw new RuntimeException(s"Missing Key $env.api.context"))
   val apiStatus: String = current.getString("api.status").getOrElse(throw new RuntimeException(s"Missing Key $env.api.status"))
   val useSandboxConnectors: Boolean = current.getBoolean("useSandboxConnectors").getOrElse(false)
-  val whitelistedApplications: Seq[String] = current.getStringSeq("whitelistedApplications").getOrElse(Seq.empty[String])
+  val whitelistedApplications: Seq[String] =
+    current.getString("whitelistedApplications").getOrElse("").split(",").filter(_.nonEmpty).map(_.trim)
 
   Logger.info(s"AppContext startup: " +
               s"env=$env " +
diff --git a/test/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/controllers/DocumentationSpec.scala b/test/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/controllers/DocumentationSpec.scala
index c56e5dc..6ca59af 100644
--- a/test/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/controllers/DocumentationSpec.scala
+++ b/test/uk/gov/hmrc/epayeapi/controllers/DocumentationSpec.scala
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import play.api.test.Helpers._
 
 class DocumentationSpec extends AppSpec {
   "The API definition endpoint" should {
-    "include whitelisted applications" in new App(builder.withConfig("whitelistedApplications" -> Seq("my-application-id", "my-other-application-id")).build) {
+    "include whitelisted applications" in new App(builder.withConfig("whitelistedApplications" -> "my-application-id, my-other-application-id").build) {
       val result = contentAsJson(inject[Documentation].definition()(FakeRequest()))
 
       val lookupResult = (result \\ "whitelistedApplicationIds" ).head