diff --git a/lib/internal/http2/util.js b/lib/internal/http2/util.js
index cffd509ed3..fcc2d87b73 100644
--- a/lib/internal/http2/util.js
+++ b/lib/internal/http2/util.js
@@ -43,6 +43,47 @@ const {
   HTTP2_HEADER_HOST
 } = binding.constants;
 
+const kValidPseudoHeaders = new Set([
+  HTTP2_HEADER_STATUS,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_METHOD,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_AUTHORITY,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_SCHEME,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_PATH
+]);
+
+const kSingleValueHeaders = new Set([
+  HTTP2_HEADER_STATUS,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_METHOD,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_AUTHORITY,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_SCHEME,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_PATH,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_AGE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_AUTHORIZATION,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_ENCODING,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LANGUAGE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LENGTH,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LOCATION,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_MD5,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_RANGE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_DATE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_ETAG,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_EXPIRES,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_FROM,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_IF_MATCH,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_IF_RANGE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_IF_UNMODIFIED_SINCE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_LAST_MODIFIED,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_MAX_FORWARDS,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_PROXY_AUTHORIZATION,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_RANGE,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_REFERER,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_RETRY_AFTER,
+  HTTP2_HEADER_USER_AGENT
+]);
+
 // The following ArrayBuffer instances are used to share memory more efficiently
 // with the native binding side for a number of methods. These are not intended
 // to be used directly by users in any way. The ArrayBuffers are created on
@@ -180,61 +221,6 @@ function isIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader(name, value) {
   }
 }
 
-function assertIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader(name, value, ctor) {
-  if (isIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader(name, value)) {
-    var err = new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_INVALID_CONNECTION_HEADERS');
-    Error.captureStackTrace(err, ctor);
-    throw err;
-  }
-}
-
-function assertValidPseudoHeader(name) {
-  switch (name) {
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_STATUS:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_METHOD:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_AUTHORITY:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_SCHEME:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_PATH:
-      return;
-    default:
-      throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_INVALID_PSEUDOHEADER', name);
-  }
-}
-
-// TODO(jasnell): Find a faster way to do this
-function assertSingleValueHeader(name) {
-  switch (name) {
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_AGE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_AUTHORIZATION:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_ENCODING:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LANGUAGE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LENGTH:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_LOCATION:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_MD5:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_RANGE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_DATE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_ETAG:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_EXPIRES:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_FROM:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_IF_MATCH:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_IF_MODIFIED_SINCE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_IF_NONE_MATCH:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_IF_RANGE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_IF_UNMODIFIED_SINCE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_LAST_MODIFIED:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_MAX_FORWARDS:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_PROXY_AUTHORIZATION:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_RANGE:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_REFERER:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_RETRY_AFTER:
-    case HTTP2_HEADER_USER_AGENT:
-      throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_HEADER_SINGLE_VALUE', name);
-    default:
-      break;
-  }
-}
-
 function mapToHeaders(map) {
   var ret = [];
   var keys = Object.keys(map);
@@ -244,21 +230,28 @@ function mapToHeaders(map) {
     var val;
     if (typeof key === 'symbol' || value === undefined || !key)
       continue;
-    var isArray = Array.isArray(value);
-    if (key[0] === ':') {
-      assertValidPseudoHeader(key);
-      if (isArray) {
-        if (value.length > 1)
-          throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_HEADER_SINGLE_VALUE', key);
-        value = value[0];
+    key = String(key).toLowerCase();
+    const isArray = Array.isArray(value);
+    if (isArray) {
+      switch (value.length) {
+        case 0:
+          continue;
+        case 1:
+          value = String(value[0]);
+          break;
+        default:
+          if (kSingleValueHeaders.has(key))
+            throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_HEADER_SINGLE_VALUE', key);
       }
+    }
+    if (key[0] === ':') {
+      if (!kValidPseudoHeaders.has(key))
+        throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_INVALID_PSEUDOHEADER', key);
       ret.unshift([key, String(value)]);
     } else {
-      key = String(key).toLowerCase();
-      assertIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader(key, value, mapToHeaders);
+      if (isIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader(key, value))
+        throw new errors.Error('ERR_HTTP2_INVALID_CONNECTION_HEADERS');
       if (isArray) {
-        if (value.length > 1)
-          assertSingleValueHeader(key);
         for (var k = 0; k < value.length; k++) {
           val = String(value[k]);
           ret.push([key, val]);
@@ -301,7 +294,6 @@ function assertIsObject(value, name, types) {
 
 module.exports = {
   assertIsObject,
-  isIllegalConnectionSpecificHeader,
   emitErrorIfNecessary,
   getDefaultSettings,
   getSessionState,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-http2-util-headers-list.js b/test/parallel/test-http2-util-headers-list.js
index e6e9fb87b1..e5b2ff3942 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-http2-util-headers-list.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-http2-util-headers-list.js
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ const {
     'abc': 1,
     ':status': 200,
     ':path': 'abc',
-    'xyz': [1, '2', { toString() { return '3'; } }, 4]
+    'xyz': [1, '2', { toString() { return '3'; } }, 4],
+    'foo': [],
+    'BAR': [1]
   };
 
   assert.deepStrictEqual(mapToHeaders(headers), [
@@ -86,7 +88,8 @@ const {
     [ 'xyz', '1' ],
     [ 'xyz', '2' ],
     [ 'xyz', '3' ],
-    [ 'xyz', '4' ]
+    [ 'xyz', '4' ],
+    [ 'bar', '1' ]
   ]);
 }
 
@@ -94,7 +97,8 @@ const {
   const headers = {
     'abc': 1,
     ':path': 'abc',
-    ':status': 200,
+    ':status': [200],
+    ':authority': [],
     'xyz': [1, 2, 3, 4]
   };