diff --git a/lang/funcs/collection.go b/lang/funcs/collection.go
index a806d1caf6..27641150cb 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/collection.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/collection.go
@@ -126,17 +126,15 @@ var CoalesceListFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
 		argTypes := make([]cty.Type, len(args))
 
 		for i, arg := range args {
-			arg, err = convert.Convert(arg, cty.DynamicPseudoType)
-			if err != nil {
-				return cty.NilType, fmt.Errorf("all arguments must be lists or tuples")
-			}
-
 			argTypes[i] = arg.Type()
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("%#v\n", argTypes)
+		retType, _ := convert.UnifyUnsafe(argTypes)
+		if retType == cty.NilType {
+			return cty.NilType, fmt.Errorf("all arguments must have the same type")
+		}
 
-		return cty.List(cty.DynamicPseudoType), nil
+		return retType, nil
 	},
 	Impl: func(args []cty.Value, retType cty.Type) (ret cty.Value, err error) {
 
@@ -161,6 +159,34 @@ var CoalesceListFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
 	},
 })
 
+//  CompactFunc contructs a function that takes a list of strings and returns a new list
+// with any empty string elements removed.
+var CompactFunc = function.New(&function.Spec{
+	Params: []function.Parameter{
+		{
+			Name: "list",
+			Type: cty.List(cty.String),
+		},
+	},
+	Type: function.StaticReturnType(cty.List(cty.String)),
+	Impl: func(args []cty.Value, retType cty.Type) (ret cty.Value, err error) {
+
+		var outputList []cty.Value
+
+		it := args[0].ElementIterator()
+		for it.Next() {
+			_, v := it.Element()
+			fmt.Println("ohai!")
+			fmt.Println(v.AsString())
+			if v.AsString() == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			outputList = append(outputList, v)
+		}
+		return cty.ListVal(outputList), nil
+	},
+})
+
 // Element returns a single element from a given list at the given index. If
 // index is greater than the length of the list then it is wrapped modulo
 // the list length.
@@ -178,3 +204,9 @@ func Length(collection cty.Value) (cty.Value, error) {
 func CoalesceList(args ...cty.Value) (cty.Value, error) {
 	return CoalesceListFunc.Call(args)
 }
+
+// Compact takes a list of strings and returns a new list
+// with any empty string elements removed.
+func Compact(list cty.Value) (cty.Value, error) {
+	return CoalesceListFunc.Call([]cty.Value{list})
+}
diff --git a/lang/funcs/collection_test.go b/lang/funcs/collection_test.go
index b30709a3c2..0385e4c64a 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/collection_test.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/collection_test.go
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func TestCoalesceList(t *testing.T) {
 			}),
 			false,
 		},
-		{ // lists with value type mismatch
+		{ // lists with mixed types
 			[]cty.Value{
 				cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
 					cty.StringVal("first"), cty.StringVal("second"),
@@ -279,20 +279,23 @@ func TestCoalesceList(t *testing.T) {
 					cty.NumberIntVal(2),
 				}),
 			},
-			cty.NilVal,
-			true,
+			cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+				cty.StringVal("first"), cty.StringVal("second"),
+			}),
+			false,
 		},
-		{ // mixed list and tuple
+		{ // lists with mixed types
 			[]cty.Value{
+				cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+					cty.NumberIntVal(1),
+					cty.NumberIntVal(2),
+				}),
 				cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
 					cty.StringVal("first"), cty.StringVal("second"),
 				}),
-				cty.TupleVal([]cty.Value{
-					cty.StringVal("third"),
-				}),
 			},
 			cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
-				cty.StringVal("first"), cty.StringVal("second"),
+				cty.StringVal("1"), cty.StringVal("2"),
 			}),
 			false,
 		},
@@ -317,3 +320,43 @@ func TestCoalesceList(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCompact(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		List cty.Value
+		Want cty.Value
+		Err  bool
+	}{
+		{
+			cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+				cty.StringVal("test"),
+				cty.StringVal(""),
+				cty.StringVal("test"),
+			}),
+			cty.ListVal([]cty.Value{
+				cty.StringVal("test"),
+				cty.StringVal("test"),
+			}),
+			false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("compact(%#v)", test.List), func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := Compact(test.List)
+
+			if test.Err {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Fatal("succeeded; want error")
+				}
+				return
+			} else if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+			}
+
+			if !got.RawEquals(test.Want) {
+				t.Errorf("wrong result\ngot:  %#v\nwant: %#v", got, test.Want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}