diff --git a/easybuild/tools/docs.py b/easybuild/tools/docs.py
index 13f2c11c27..e83b89ad9e 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/docs.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/docs.py
@@ -779,8 +779,8 @@ def list_software(output_format=FORMAT_TXT, detailed=False, only_installed=False
             toolchain = '%s/%s' % (ec['toolchain']['name'], ec['toolchain']['version'])
 
         keys = ['description', 'homepage', 'version', 'versionsuffix']
-
-        info = {'toolchain': toolchain}
+        # authors should be a list and does not need to be templated
+        info = {'toolchain': toolchain, 'authors': ec.get('authors', [])}
         for key in keys:
             info[key] = ec.get(key, '')
 
diff --git a/test/framework/docs.py b/test/framework/docs.py
index 70280892e4..d920c0b6bf 100644
--- a/test/framework/docs.py
+++ b/test/framework/docs.py
@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@
 
 LIST_SOFTWARE_DETAILED_JSON = """[
 {
+    "authors": [],
     "description": "%(gcc_descr)s",
     "homepage": "http://gcc.gnu.org/",
     "name": "GCC",
@@ -470,6 +471,7 @@
     "versionsuffix": ""
 },
 {
+    "authors": [],
     "description": "%(gzip_descr)s",
     "homepage": "http://www.gzip.org/",
     "name": "gzip",
@@ -478,6 +480,7 @@
     "versionsuffix": ""
 },
 {
+    "authors": [],
     "description": "%(gzip_descr)s",
     "homepage": "http://www.gzip.org/",
     "name": "gzip",
@@ -486,6 +489,7 @@
     "versionsuffix": ""
 },
 {
+    "authors": [],
     "description": "%(gzip_descr)s",
     "homepage": "http://www.gzip.org/",
     "name": "gzip",
@@ -494,6 +498,7 @@
     "versionsuffix": ""
 },
 {
+    "authors": [],
     "description": "%(gzip_descr)s",
     "homepage": "http://www.gzip.org/",
     "name": "gzip",