diff --git a/config/main.py b/config/main.py
index e5a3cf6d0fa4..44bf799287f9 100644
--- a/config/main.py
+++ b/config/main.py
@@ -3339,7 +3339,7 @@ def parse_acl_table_info(table_name, table_type, description, ports, stage):
     if ports:
         for port in ports.split(","):
             port_list += expand_vlan_ports(port)
-        port_list = set(port_list)
+        port_list = list(set(port_list))  # convert to set first to remove duplicate ifaces
     else:
         port_list = valid_acl_ports
 
@@ -3347,7 +3347,7 @@ def parse_acl_table_info(table_name, table_type, description, ports, stage):
         if port not in valid_acl_ports:
             raise ValueError("Cannot bind ACL to specified port {}".format(port))
 
-    table_info["ports@"] = ",".join(port_list)
+    table_info["ports"] = port_list
 
     table_info["stage"] = stage
 
diff --git a/tests/acl_config_test.py b/tests/acl_config_test.py
index 63f92b787be1..ff397e760d98 100644
--- a/tests/acl_config_test.py
+++ b/tests/acl_config_test.py
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ def test_parse_table_with_vlan_expansion(self):
         assert table_info["type"] == "L3"
         assert table_info["policy_desc"] == "TEST"
         assert table_info["stage"] == "egress"
-
-        port_list = table_info["ports@"].split(",")
-        assert set(port_list) == {"Ethernet4", "Ethernet8", "Ethernet12", "Ethernet16"}
+        assert set(table_info["ports"]) == {"Ethernet4", "Ethernet8", "Ethernet12", "Ethernet16"}
 
     def test_parse_table_with_vlan_and_duplicates(self):
         table_info = parse_acl_table_info("TEST", "L3", None, "Ethernet4,Vlan1000", "egress")
@@ -36,9 +34,9 @@ def test_parse_table_with_vlan_and_duplicates(self):
         assert table_info["stage"] == "egress"
 
         # Since Ethernet4 is a member of Vlan1000 we should not include it twice in the output
-        port_list = table_info["ports@"].split(",")
-        assert len(port_list) == 4
-        assert set(port_list) == {"Ethernet4", "Ethernet8", "Ethernet12", "Ethernet16"}
+        port_set = set(table_info["ports"])
+        assert len(port_set) == 4
+        assert set(port_set) == {"Ethernet4", "Ethernet8", "Ethernet12", "Ethernet16"}
 
     def test_parse_table_with_empty_vlan(self):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):