diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/pathlist_strip.yml b/changelogs/fragments/pathlist_strip.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b90f7e42bc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/pathlist_strip.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - also strip spaces around config values in pathlist as we do in list types
diff --git a/lib/ansible/config/manager.py b/lib/ansible/config/manager.py
index 5310c7eb044..7bff979d651 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/config/manager.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/config/manager.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def ensure_type(value, value_type, origin=None):
 
         elif value_type == 'pathlist':
             if isinstance(value, string_types):
-                value = value.split(',')
+                value = [x.strip() for x in value.split(',')]
 
             if isinstance(value, Sequence):
                 value = [resolve_path(x, basedir=basedir) for x in value]