diff --git a/src/lists.js b/src/lists.js
index b676c00c..90653ea8 100644
--- a/src/lists.js
+++ b/src/lists.js
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ List.prototype.asCSV = function () {
 
     var items = this.itemsArray(),
         rows = [];
-    
+
     function encodeCell(atomicValue) {
         var string = isNil(atomicValue) ? '' : atomicValue.toString(),
             cell;
@@ -932,7 +932,7 @@ List.prototype.asCSV = function () {
             return string;
         }
         cell = ['\"'];
-        string.split('').forEach(letter => {
+        Array.from(string).forEach(letter => {
             cell.push(letter);
             if (letter === '\"') {
                 cell.push(letter);
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ List.prototype.blockify = function (limit = 500, count = [0]) {
 
     block.isDraggable = true;
     slots.removeInput();
-    
+
     // fill the slots with the data
     for (i = 0; i < len && count[0] < limit; i += 1) {
         value = this.at(i + 1);
diff --git a/src/threads.js b/src/threads.js
index 6da34e25..5284e91b 100644
--- a/src/threads.js
+++ b/src/threads.js
@@ -4344,15 +4344,16 @@ Process.prototype.reportStringSize = function (data) {
 };
 
 Process.prototype.reportUnicode = function (string) {
-    var str;
+    var str, unicodeList;
 
     if (this.enableHyperOps) {
         if (string instanceof List) {
             return string.map(each => this.reportUnicode(each));
         }
         str = isNil(string) ? '\u0000' : string.toString();
-        if (str.length > 1) {
-            return this.reportUnicode(new List(str.split('')));
+        unicodeList = Array.from(str);
+        if (unicodeList.length > 1) {
+            return this.reportUnicode(new List(unicodeList));
         }
     } else {
         str = isNil(string) ? '\u0000' : string.toString();
@@ -4420,9 +4421,10 @@ Process.prototype.reportBasicTextSplit = function (string, delimiter) {
         str = str.trim();
         del = /\s+/;
         break;
+    case isNil(delimiter):
+    case '':
     case 'letter':
-        del = '';
-        break;
+        return new List(Array.from(str));
     case 'csv':
         return this.parseCSV(string);
     case 'json':
@@ -4434,7 +4436,7 @@ Process.prototype.reportBasicTextSplit = function (string, delimiter) {
         return this.parseCSVfields(string);
     */
     default:
-        del = isNil(delimiter) ? '' : delimiter.toString();
+        del = delimiter.toString();
     }
     return new List(str.split(del));
 };