diff --git a/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions.go b/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions.go
index f3e12a208a..9799e80c51 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions.go
@@ -336,7 +336,14 @@ func jpfSplit(arguments []interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return strings.Split(str.String(), sep.String()), nil
+	split := strings.Split(str.String(), sep.String())
+	arr := make([]interface{}, len(split))
+
+	for i, v := range split {
+		arr[i] = v
+	}
+
+	return arr, nil
 }
 
 func jpRegexReplaceAll(arguments []interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions_test.go b/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions_test.go
index 427627419f..a2342bae01 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/jmespath/functions_test.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func TestJMESPathFunctions_Split(t *testing.T) {
 	result, err := jp.Search("")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
-	split, ok := result.([]string)
+	split, ok := result.([]interface{})
 	assert.Assert(t, ok)
 	assert.Equal(t, split[0], "Hello")
 	assert.Equal(t, split[1], "Gophers")