diff --git a/docs/bin/plugin_formatter.py b/docs/bin/plugin_formatter.py
index 330a7540ab..03639b3c6d 100755
--- a/docs/bin/plugin_formatter.py
+++ b/docs/bin/plugin_formatter.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import sys
 import warnings
 from collections import defaultdict
 from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from functools import partial
 from pprint import PrettyPrinter
 
 try:
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ from six import iteritems, string_types
 
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_bytes, to_text
+from ansible.module_utils.common.collections import is_sequence
 from ansible.plugins.loader import fragment_loader
 from ansible.utils import plugin_docs
 from ansible.utils.display import Display
@@ -154,6 +156,9 @@ def rst_xline(width, char="="):
     return char * width
 
 
+test_list = partial(is_sequence, include_strings=False)
+
+
 def write_data(text, output_dir, outputname, module=None):
     ''' dumps module output to a file or the screen, as requested '''
 
@@ -334,6 +339,7 @@ def jinja2_environment(template_dir, typ, plugin_type):
         env.filters['html_ify'] = html_ify
         env.filters['fmt'] = rst_fmt
         env.filters['xline'] = rst_xline
+        env.tests['list'] = test_list
         templates['plugin'] = env.get_template('plugin.rst.j2')
 
         if plugin_type == 'module':
diff --git a/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2 b/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
index d3ebc7c560..c385ac9c63 100644
--- a/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
+++ b/docs/templates/plugin.rst.j2
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Parameters
                                 {% elif choice is sameas false %}
                                     {% set choice = 'no' %}
                                 {% endif %}
-                                {% if (value.default is string and value.default == choice) or (value.default is iterable and value.default is not string and choice in value.default) %}
+                                {% if (value.default is not list and value.default == choice) or (value.default is list and choice in value.default) %}
                                     <li><div style="color: blue"><b>@{ choice | escape }@</b>&nbsp;&larr;</div></li>
                                 {% else %}
                                     <li>@{ choice | escape }@</li>