diff --git a/lib/formslib.php b/lib/formslib.php
index 28aa3adfadc..3fddeca2ad0 100644
--- a/lib/formslib.php
+++ b/lib/formslib.php
@@ -884,9 +884,10 @@ class MoodleQuickForm extends HTML_QuickForm_DHTMLRulesTableless {
         $unfiltered = array();
         if (null === $elementList) {
             // iterate over all elements, calling their exportValue() methods
+            $emptyarray = array();
             foreach (array_keys($this->_elements) as $key) {
                 if ($this->_elements[$key]->isFrozen() && !$this->_elements[$key]->_persistantFreeze){
-                    $value = $this->_elements[$key]->exportValue(array(), true);
+                    $value = $this->_elements[$key]->exportValue($emptyarray, true);
                 } else {
                     $value = $this->_elements[$key]->exportValue($this->_submitValues, true);
                 }