diff --git a/tensorflow/python/ops/embedding_ops.py b/tensorflow/python/ops/embedding_ops.py
index 06be27633b5..c948eeb6fff 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/ops/embedding_ops.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/ops/embedding_ops.py
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ def embedding_lookup(params, ids, partition_strategy="mod", name=None,
   Raises:
     ValueError: If `params` is empty.
   """
+  if params is None or params == []:  # pylint: disable=g-explicit-bool-comparison
+    raise ValueError("Need at least one param")
   if not isinstance(params, list):
     params = [params]
   with ops.op_scope(params + [ids], name, "embedding_lookup") as name:
-    if not params:
-      raise ValueError("Need at least one param")
     np = len(params)  # Number of partitions
     params = ops.convert_n_to_tensor_or_indexed_slices(params, name="params")
     if np == 1: