diff --git a/cerulean_cloud/cloud_function_ais_analysis/main.py b/cerulean_cloud/cloud_function_ais_analysis/main.py
index 90d68410..60acfc74 100644
--- a/cerulean_cloud/cloud_function_ais_analysis/main.py
+++ b/cerulean_cloud/cloud_function_ais_analysis/main.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ async def handle_aaa_request(request):
                 if len(slicks_without_sources) > 0:
                     ais_constructor = AISConstructor(s1)
                     ais_constructor.retrieve_ais()
-                    if ais_constructor.ais_df:
+                    if not ais_constructor.ais_df.empty:
                         ais_constructor.build_trajectories()
                         ais_constructor.buffer_trajectories()
                         for slick in slicks_without_sources:
diff --git a/cerulean_cloud/cloud_run_tipg/handler.py b/cerulean_cloud/cloud_run_tipg/handler.py
index a82a1d89..bad60019 100644
--- a/cerulean_cloud/cloud_run_tipg/handler.py
+++ b/cerulean_cloud/cloud_run_tipg/handler.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 - DATABASE_URL
 
 """
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 from typing import Any, List, Optional
@@ -64,11 +65,16 @@ def extract_table_from_request(request: Request) -> Optional[str]:
 
 
 def get_env_list(env_var: str, default: List[str] = None) -> List[str]:
-    """Get a list from an environment variable. Assumes values are comma-separated."""
+    """
+    Turn a list of strings in the .env into a list of strings in the code
+    """
     raw_value = os.environ.get(env_var)
     if raw_value is None:
         return default if default is not None else []
-    return raw_value.split(",")
+    try:
+        return json.loads(raw_value)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        return raw_value.split(",")
 
 
 class AccessControlMiddleware(BaseHTTPMiddleware):