diff --git a/behaviors/common-behavior.html b/behaviors/common-behavior.html
index afb8d69..fa7e793 100644
--- a/behaviors/common-behavior.html
+++ b/behaviors/common-behavior.html
@@ -406,6 +406,10 @@
         return true;
       }
       return false;
+    },
+
+    arrayNotEmpty(arr) {
+      return Array.isArray(arr) && arr.length;
     }
 
   };
diff --git a/etools-multi-selection-menu.html b/etools-multi-selection-menu.html
index 28e7af1..bda5431 100644
--- a/etools-multi-selection-menu.html
+++ b/etools-multi-selection-menu.html
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@
       // This observer makes sure request for missing option is triggered only after the url is set also.
       // notFoundOption is actually this.selected
       _notFoundOptionsAndUrlChanged: function() {
-        if (this.notFoundOptions) {
+        if (this.arrayNotEmpty(this.notFoundOptions)) {
           this._handleSelectedNotFoundInOptions(this.notFoundOptions);
         }
       },
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@
       },
       _updateAfterMissingOptionsReceived: function(detail) {
         var selectedItems;
-        if (Array.isArray(detail) && detail.length) {
+        if (this.arrayNotEmpty(detail)) {
           selectedItems = detail;
         } else {
           selectedItems = [detail];
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@
       _selectedItemsDisplayHasChanged: function(e) {
         e.stopImmediatePropagation();
         // hide/show placeholder
-        if (this.selectedItems instanceof Array && this.selectedItems.length > 0) {
+        if (this.arrayNotEmpty(this.selectedItems)) {
           this.set('_hidePlaceholder', true);
         } else {
           this.set('_hidePlaceholder', false);
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@
       },
       // Use of this method covers a corner case
       _getSelectedClass: function(item) {
-        if (this.selectedValues instanceof Array && this.selectedValues.length > 0) {
+        if (this.arrayNotEmpty(this.selectedValues)) {
           return this.selectedValues.indexOf(item[this.optionValue].toString()) > -1 ? 'iron-selected' : '';
         }
         return '';
diff --git a/etools-single-selection-menu.html b/etools-single-selection-menu.html
index f4c7d9c..092c69c 100644
--- a/etools-single-selection-menu.html
+++ b/etools-single-selection-menu.html
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@
       },
       _updateAfterMissingOptionsReceived: function(detail) {
         var selectedItem;
-        if (Array.isArray(detail) && detail.length) {
+        if (this.arrayNotEmpty(detail)) {
           selectedItem = detail[0];
         } else {
           selectedItem = detail;