diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index ab313c1..ee8e752 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
   if $crons != undef {
     if $crons_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $crons_real = hiera_hash('types::crons', {})
+        $crons_real = hiera_hash('types::crons')
       } else {
         $crons_real = lookup('types::crons', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
   if $execs != undef {
     if $execs_hiera_merge_bool == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $execs_real = hiera_hash('types::execs', {})
+        $execs_real = hiera_hash('types::execs')
       } else {
         $execs_real = lookup('types::execs', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
   if $file_lines != undef {
     if $file_lines_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $file_lines_real = hiera_hash('types::file_lines', {})
+        $file_lines_real = hiera_hash('types::file_lines')
       } else {
         $file_lines_real = lookup('types::file_lines', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
   if $files != undef {
     if $files_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $files_real = hiera_hash('types::files', {})
+        $files_real = hiera_hash('types::files')
       } else {
         $files_real = lookup('types::files', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
   if $mounts != undef {
     if $mounts_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $mounts_real = hiera_hash('types::mounts', {})
+        $mounts_real = hiera_hash('types::mounts')
       } else {
         $mounts_real = lookup('types::mounts', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
   if $packages != undef {
     if $packages_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $packages_real = hiera_hash('types::packages', {})
+        $packages_real = hiera_hash('types::packages')
       } else {
         $packages_real = lookup('types::packages', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
   if $selbooleans != undef {
     if $selbooleans_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $selbooleans_real = hiera_hash('types::selboolean', {})
+        $selbooleans_real = hiera_hash('types::selboolean')
       } else {
         $selbooleans_real = lookup('types::selboolean', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
   if $services != undef {
     if $services_hiera_merge_real == true {
       if versioncmp($::puppetversion, '4.0.0') < 0 {
-        $services_real = hiera_hash('types::services', {})
+        $services_real = hiera_hash('types::services')
       } else {
         $services_real = lookup('types::services', Hash, 'deep', {})
       }