diff --git a/salt/utils/parsers.py b/salt/utils/parsers.py
index 40e5d7648e..da7043d249 100644
--- a/salt/utils/parsers.py
+++ b/salt/utils/parsers.py
@@ -1036,7 +1036,10 @@ class SaltCMDOptionParser(OptionParser, ConfigDirMixIn, MergeConfigMixIn,
                 self.args[2] = self.args[2]
 
         if self.options.list:
-            self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            if ',' in self.args[0]:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            else:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split()
         else:
             self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0]
 
@@ -1107,7 +1110,10 @@ class SaltCPOptionParser(OptionParser, ConfigDirMixIn, MergeConfigMixIn,
             self.exit(1)
 
         if self.options.list:
-            self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            if ',' in self.args[0]:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            else:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split()
         else:
             self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0]
         self.config['src'] = self.args[1:-1]
@@ -1487,7 +1493,10 @@ class SaltSSHOptionParser(OptionParser, ConfigDirMixIn, MergeConfigMixIn,
 
     def _mixin_after_parsed(self):
         if self.options.list:
-            self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            if ',' in self.args[0]:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split(',')
+            else:
+                self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0].split()
         else:
             self.config['tgt'] = self.args[0]
         if len(self.args) > 0: