diff --git a/tensorflow/python/ops/array_ops.py b/tensorflow/python/ops/array_ops.py
index f0f97f6a054..f7fc3239714 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/ops/array_ops.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/ops/array_ops.py
@@ -2123,12 +2123,13 @@ def split(value, num_or_size_splits, axis=0, num=None, name="split"):
   Raises:
     ValueError: If `num` is unspecified and cannot be inferred.
   """
-  size_splits = ops.convert_to_tensor(num_or_size_splits)
   if isinstance(num_or_size_splits,
                 (numbers.Integral, tensor_shape.Dimension)):
     return gen_array_ops.split(
         axis=axis, num_split=num_or_size_splits, value=value, name=name)
 
+  size_splits = ops.convert_to_tensor(num_or_size_splits)
+
   if size_splits._rank() == 0:
     raise ValueError(
         "Rank-0 tensors are not supported as the num_or_size_splits argument "