diff --git a/ee/cli/plugins/site.py b/ee/cli/plugins/site.py
index 49b17192..d0cd4ba2 100644
--- a/ee/cli/plugins/site.py
+++ b/ee/cli/plugins/site.py
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ class EESiteCreateController(CementBaseController):
                 self.app.pargs.wpsubdomain or self.app.pargs.hhvm):
             self.app.pargs.html = True
 
-        data = ''
+        data = None
+
         (ee_domain, ee_www_domain) = ValidateDomain(self.app.pargs.site_name)
         ee_site_webroot = EEVariables.ee_webroot + ee_domain
 
diff --git a/ee/cli/plugins/stack.py b/ee/cli/plugins/stack.py
index d21d54aa..431f6b7f 100644
--- a/ee/cli/plugins/stack.py
+++ b/ee/cli/plugins/stack.py
@@ -608,6 +608,7 @@ class EEStackController(CementBaseController):
                 if os.path.isdir("/etc/nginx") and (not
                    os.path.isfile("/etc/nginx/common/php-hhvm.conf")):
 
+                    data = dict()
                     Log.debug(self, 'Writting the nginx configuration to '
                               'file /etc/nginx/common/php-hhvm.conf')
                     ee_nginx = open('/etc/nginx/common/php-hhvm.conf',