diff --git a/homeassistant/components/rest/schema.py b/homeassistant/components/rest/schema.py
index d124ce5789c..cfd8f8a3852 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/rest/schema.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/rest/schema.py
@@ -91,9 +91,8 @@ COMBINED_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
 CONFIG_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
     {
         DOMAIN: vol.All(
-            # convert empty dict to empty list
-            lambda x: [] if x == {} else x,
             cv.ensure_list,
+            cv.remove_falsy,
             [COMBINED_SCHEMA],
         )
     },
diff --git a/tests/components/rest/test_init.py b/tests/components/rest/test_init.py
index 08d538fd163..fbee3c2051a 100644
--- a/tests/components/rest/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/rest/test_init.py
@@ -418,3 +418,19 @@ async def test_empty_config(hass: HomeAssistant) -> None:
         {DOMAIN: {}},
     )
     assert_setup_component(0, DOMAIN)
+
+
+async def test_config_schema_via_packages(hass: HomeAssistant) -> None:
+    """Test configuration via packages."""
+    packages = {
+        "pack_dict": {"rest": {}},
+        "pack_11": {"rest": {"resource": "http://url1"}},
+        "pack_list": {"rest": [{"resource": "http://url2"}]},
+    }
+    config = {hass_config.CONF_CORE: {hass_config.CONF_PACKAGES: packages}}
+    await hass_config.merge_packages_config(hass, config, packages)
+
+    assert len(config) == 2
+    assert len(config["rest"]) == 2
+    assert config["rest"][0]["resource"] == "http://url1"
+    assert config["rest"][1]["resource"] == "http://url2"