diff --git a/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend.go b/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend.go
index dab8bbe80462..e10fffa0d32c 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend.go
@@ -6,16 +6,19 @@ import (
 	etcdv3 "github.com/coreos/etcd/clientv3"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 func New() backend.Backend {
 	s := &schema.Backend{
 		Schema: map[string]*schema.Schema{
 			"endpoints": &schema.Schema{
-				Type:        schema.TypeString,
+				Type: schema.TypeList,
+				Elem: &schema.Schema{
+					Type: schema.TypeString,
+				},
+				MinItems:    1,
 				Required:    true,
-				Description: "Comma-separated list of endpoints for the etcd cluster.",
+				Description: "Endpoints for the etcd cluster.",
 			},
 
 			"username": &schema.Schema{
@@ -77,8 +80,8 @@ func (b *Backend) configure(ctx context.Context) error {
 func (b *Backend) rawClient() (*etcdv3.Client, error) {
 	config := etcdv3.Config{}
 
-	if v, ok := b.data.GetOk("endpoints"); ok && v.(string) != "" {
-		config.Endpoints = strings.Split(v.(string), ",")
+	if v, ok := b.data.GetOk("endpoints"); ok {
+		config.Endpoints = retrieveEndpoints(v)
 	}
 	if v, ok := b.data.GetOk("username"); ok && v.(string) != "" {
 		config.Username = v.(string)
@@ -89,3 +92,12 @@ func (b *Backend) rawClient() (*etcdv3.Client, error) {
 
 	return etcdv3.New(config)
 }
+
+func retrieveEndpoints(v interface{}) []string {
+	var endpoints []string
+	list := v.([]interface{})
+	for _, ep := range list {
+		endpoints = append(endpoints, ep.(string))
+	}
+	return endpoints
+}
diff --git a/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend_test.go b/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend_test.go
index 3a2d22017c08..619f46c05ffe 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend_test.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/etcdv3/backend_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
 )
 
+var (
+	etcdv3Endpoints = strings.Split(os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"), ",")
+)
+
 const (
 	keyPrefix = "tf-unit"
 )
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ func prepareEtcdv3(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	client, err := etcdv3.New(etcdv3.Config{
-		Endpoints: strings.Split(os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"), ","),
+		Endpoints: etcdv3Endpoints,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -49,12 +53,12 @@ func TestBackend(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Get the backend. We need two to test locking.
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"endpoints": os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"),
+		"endpoints": etcdv3Endpoints,
 		"prefix":    path,
 	})
 
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"endpoints": os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"),
+		"endpoints": etcdv3Endpoints,
 		"prefix":    path,
 	})
 
@@ -69,13 +73,13 @@ func TestBackend_lockDisabled(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Get the backend. We need two to test locking.
 	b1 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"endpoints": os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"),
+		"endpoints": etcdv3Endpoints,
 		"lock":      false,
 		"prefix":    key,
 	})
 
 	b2 := backend.TestBackendConfig(t, New(), map[string]interface{}{
-		"endpoints": os.Getenv("TF_ETCDV3_ENDPOINTS"),
+		"endpoints": etcdv3Endpoints,
 		"lock":      false,
 		"prefix":    key + "/" + "different", // Diff so locking test would fail if it was locking
 	})