diff --git a/manifests/configs.pp b/manifests/configs.pp
index 3049440..8dd74d4 100644
--- a/manifests/configs.pp
+++ b/manifests/configs.pp
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
 # Class: sudo::configs
 #
 # This class enables support for a full hiera based sudoers configuration.
 # Hiera functionality is auto enabled during the initial sudo module load;
 #   this class is not intended to be loaded directly.
 #
 # See the primary sudo module documentation for usage and examples.
 #
 class sudo::configs {
 
   # NOTE: hiera_hash does not work as expected in a parameterized class
   #   definition; so we call it here.
   #
   # http://docs.puppetlabs.com/hiera/1/puppet.html#limitations
   # https://tickets.puppetlabs.com/browse/HI-118
   #
-  $configs = hiera_hash('sudo::configs', undef)
+  $configs = hiera_hash('sudo::configs', {})
 
-  if $configs {
+  if !empty($configs) {
     create_resources('::sudo::conf', $configs)
   }
 
 }