diff --git a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Utility/BackendUtility.php b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Utility/BackendUtility.php
index fb5cc0f5c56d6fc61aebaf2acd11c106a522b3dd..6446f126207c90f2c97d535ba4080b4938c16da2 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Utility/BackendUtility.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Utility/BackendUtility.php
@@ -4108,7 +4108,7 @@ class BackendUtility
     public static function explodeSoftRefParserList($parserList)
     {
         // Return immediately if list is blank:
-        if ($parserList === '') {
+        if ((string)$parserList === '') {
             return false;
         }