diff --git a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/SSLFactory.java b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/SSLFactory.java
index 4868f2ec..6e5c84c8 100644
--- a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/SSLFactory.java
+++ b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/SSLFactory.java
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
 
 import static java.util.Objects.isNull;
 import static java.util.Objects.nonNull;
+import static nl.altindag.ssl.util.internal.CollectorsUtils.toStringArray;
 import static nl.altindag.ssl.util.internal.ValidationUtils.requireNotBlank;
 import static nl.altindag.ssl.util.internal.ValidationUtils.requireNotEmpty;
 
@@ -904,27 +905,20 @@ private SSLParameters createSslParameters(SSLContext sslContext) {
             List<String> defaultCiphers = Arrays.asList(defaultSSLParameters.getCipherSuites());
             List<String> defaultProtocols = Arrays.asList(defaultSSLParameters.getProtocols());
 
-            List<String> preferredCiphers = ciphers.stream()
+            String[] preferredCiphers = ciphers.stream()
                     .distinct()
+                    .filter(StringUtils::isNotBlank)
                     .filter(defaultCiphers::contains)
-                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
-
-            if (preferredCiphers.isEmpty()) {
-                sslParameters.setCipherSuites(defaultCiphers.stream().toArray(String[]::new));
-            } else {
-                sslParameters.setCipherSuites(preferredCiphers.stream().toArray(String[]::new));
-            }
+                    .collect(toStringArray());
 
-            List<String> preferredProtocols = protocols.stream()
+            String[] preferredProtocols = protocols.stream()
                     .distinct()
+                    .filter(StringUtils::isNotBlank)
                     .filter(defaultProtocols::contains)
-                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
+                    .collect(toStringArray());
 
-            if (preferredProtocols.isEmpty()) {
-                sslParameters.setProtocols(defaultProtocols.stream().toArray(String[]::new));
-            } else {
-                sslParameters.setProtocols(preferredProtocols.stream().toArray(String[]::new));
-            }
+            sslParameters.setCipherSuites(preferredCiphers);
+            sslParameters.setProtocols(preferredProtocols);
 
             return SSLParametersUtils.merge(sslParameters, defaultSSLParameters);
         }
diff --git a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/SSLParametersUtils.java b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/SSLParametersUtils.java
index 600ce116..2563a4cc 100644
--- a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/SSLParametersUtils.java
+++ b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/SSLParametersUtils.java
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@ public static SSLParameters merge(SSLParameters baseSslParameters, SSLParameters
         SSLParameters target = new SSLParameters();
 
         String[] ciphers = Optional.ofNullable(baseSslParameters.getCipherSuites())
+                .filter(array -> array.length != 0)
                 .orElseGet(alternativeSslParameters::getCipherSuites);
         String[] protocols = Optional.ofNullable(baseSslParameters.getProtocols())
+                .filter(array -> array.length != 0)
                 .orElseGet(alternativeSslParameters::getProtocols);
 
         target.setCipherSuites(ciphers);
diff --git a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/internal/CollectorsUtils.java b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/internal/CollectorsUtils.java
index e34a1af6..4884c142 100644
--- a/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/internal/CollectorsUtils.java
+++ b/sslcontext-kickstart/src/main/java/nl/altindag/ssl/util/internal/CollectorsUtils.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.function.Function;
+import java.util.function.IntFunction;
 import java.util.stream.Collector;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -45,4 +46,12 @@ private CollectorsUtils() {
         return Collectors.collectingAndThen(Collectors.toList(), finisher);
     }
 
+    public static <T> Collector<T, ?, T[]> toArray(IntFunction<T[]> generator) {
+        return Collectors.collectingAndThen(Collectors.toList(), list -> list.toArray(generator));
+    }
+
+    public static Collector<String, ?, String[]> toStringArray() {
+        return toArray(String[]::new);
+    }
+
 }