diff --git a/management/status_checks.py b/management/status_checks.py
index 3bc5faa5..044a1187 100755
--- a/management/status_checks.py
+++ b/management/status_checks.py
@@ -1082,7 +1082,7 @@ class ConsoleOutput(FileOutput):
 class BufferedOutput:
 	# Record all of the instance method calls so we can play them back later.
 	def __init__(self, with_lines=None):
-		self.buf = [] if not with_lines else with_lines
+		self.buf = with_lines if with_lines else []
 	def __getattr__(self, attr):
 		if attr not in {"add_heading", "print_ok", "print_error", "print_warning", "print_block", "print_line"}:
 			raise AttributeError