diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 46463e6b..a635b038 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ metadata_v0:
           -e "s/CurrentVersionCode:.'\([0-9]*\)'/CurrentVersionCode:\1/"
           -e "s/  versionCode:.'\([0-9]*\)'/  versionCode:\1/"
           -e "s/  timeout:.'\([0-9]*\)'/  timeout:\1/"
+          -e "/VercodeOperation/s/null/[]/"
+          -e 's/VercodeOperation:.\([^[]\+\)/VercodeOperation:\n- \1/'
           metadata/dump_*/*.yaml
     - diff -uw metadata/dump_*
 
diff --git a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
index 756a8064..c5318742 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
@@ -456,13 +456,9 @@ def checkupdates_app(app):
         raise FDroidException(_('no version information found'))
 
     if app.VercodeOperation:
-        if isinstance(app.VercodeOperation, str):
-            vercodes = [operate_vercode(app.VercodeOperation, vercode)]
-        else:
-            vercodes = sorted([
-                operate_vercode(operation, vercode)
-                for operation in app.VercodeOperation
-            ])
+        vercodes = sorted([
+            operate_vercode(operation, vercode) for operation in app.VercodeOperation
+        ])
     else:
         vercodes = [vercode]
 
diff --git a/fdroidserver/lint.py b/fdroidserver/lint.py
index c4c98143..6e11c8a6 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/lint.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/lint.py
@@ -264,13 +264,8 @@ def check_update_check_data_url(app):  # noqa: D403
 def check_vercode_operation(app):
     if not app.VercodeOperation:
         return
-    ops = (
-        [app.VercodeOperation]
-        if isinstance(app.VercodeOperation, str)
-        else app.VercodeOperation
-    )
     invalid_ops = []
-    for op in ops:
+    for op in app.VercodeOperation:
         if not common.VERCODE_OPERATION_RE.match(op):
             invalid_ops += op
     if invalid_ops:
diff --git a/fdroidserver/metadata.py b/fdroidserver/metadata.py
index 9c08b584..43c2ca9d 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/metadata.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/metadata.py
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class App(dict):
         self.AutoUpdateMode = 'None'
         self.UpdateCheckMode = 'None'
         self.UpdateCheckIgnore = None
-        self.VercodeOperation = None
+        self.VercodeOperation = []
         self.UpdateCheckName = None
         self.UpdateCheckData = None
         self.CurrentVersion = ''
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ fieldtypes = {
     'AntiFeatures': TYPE_LIST,
     'AllowedAPKSigningKeys': TYPE_LIST,
     'Builds': TYPE_BUILD,
+    'VercodeOperation': TYPE_LIST,
     'CurrentVersionCode': TYPE_INT,
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/lint.TestCase b/tests/lint.TestCase
index 3cf6b857..07f775c4 100755
--- a/tests/lint.TestCase
+++ b/tests/lint.TestCase
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ class LintTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         anywarns = False
         for good in good_fields:
-            app.VercodeOperation = good
+            app.VercodeOperation = [good]
             for warn in fdroidserver.lint.check_vercode_operation(app):
                 anywarns = True
                 logging.debug(warn)
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ class LintTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         for bad in bad_fields:
             anywarns = False
-            app.VercodeOperation = bad
+            app.VercodeOperation = [bad]
             for warn in fdroidserver.lint.check_vercode_operation(app):
                 anywarns = True
                 logging.debug(warn)
diff --git a/tests/metadata/dump/com.politedroid.yaml b/tests/metadata/dump/com.politedroid.yaml
index 01ea946e..aacff98c 100644
--- a/tests/metadata/dump/com.politedroid.yaml
+++ b/tests/metadata/dump/com.politedroid.yaml
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ UpdateCheckData: null
 UpdateCheckIgnore: null
 UpdateCheckMode: Tags
 UpdateCheckName: null
-VercodeOperation: null
+VercodeOperation: []
 WebSite: ''
 added: null
 comments: {}
diff --git a/tests/metadata/dump/org.adaway.yaml b/tests/metadata/dump/org.adaway.yaml
index dd1fcd4f..7fe21c4d 100644
--- a/tests/metadata/dump/org.adaway.yaml
+++ b/tests/metadata/dump/org.adaway.yaml
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ UpdateCheckData: null
 UpdateCheckIgnore: null
 UpdateCheckMode: Tags
 UpdateCheckName: null
-VercodeOperation: null
+VercodeOperation: []
 WebSite: http://sufficientlysecure.org/index.php/adaway
 added: null
 comments: {}
diff --git a/tests/metadata/dump/org.smssecure.smssecure.yaml b/tests/metadata/dump/org.smssecure.smssecure.yaml
index c3ad76b6..b010502b 100644
--- a/tests/metadata/dump/org.smssecure.smssecure.yaml
+++ b/tests/metadata/dump/org.smssecure.smssecure.yaml
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ UpdateCheckData: null
 UpdateCheckIgnore: null
 UpdateCheckMode: Tags
 UpdateCheckName: null
-VercodeOperation: null
+VercodeOperation: []
 WebSite: http://www.smssecure.org
 added: null
 comments: {}
diff --git a/tests/metadata/dump/org.videolan.vlc.yaml b/tests/metadata/dump/org.videolan.vlc.yaml
index 652b5c2b..569724d8 100644
--- a/tests/metadata/dump/org.videolan.vlc.yaml
+++ b/tests/metadata/dump/org.videolan.vlc.yaml
@@ -2442,7 +2442,8 @@ UpdateCheckData: null
 UpdateCheckIgnore: null
 UpdateCheckMode: Tags
 UpdateCheckName: null
-VercodeOperation: '%c + 5'
+VercodeOperation:
+  - '%c + 5'
 WebSite: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-android.html
 added: null
 comments: {}
diff --git a/tests/metadata/org.videolan.vlc.yml b/tests/metadata/org.videolan.vlc.yml
index 62afe259..969c9674 100644
--- a/tests/metadata/org.videolan.vlc.yml
+++ b/tests/metadata/org.videolan.vlc.yml
@@ -804,6 +804,7 @@ ArchivePolicy: 9 versions
 AutoUpdateMode: None
 UpdateCheckMode: Tags
 # Only use higher vercode ops, if we do build those arches
-VercodeOperation: "%c + 5"
+VercodeOperation:
+  - "%c + 5"
 CurrentVersion: 1.2.6
 CurrentVersionCode: 1030005
diff --git a/tests/update.TestCase b/tests/update.TestCase
index 5b4e8142..59c1aac5 100755
--- a/tests/update.TestCase
+++ b/tests/update.TestCase
@@ -1447,7 +1447,7 @@ class UpdateTest(unittest.TestCase):
                         'UpdateCheckIgnore': '',
                         'UpdateCheckMode': '',
                         'UpdateCheckName': '',
-                        'VercodeOperation': '',
+                        'VercodeOperation': None,
                         'WebSite': '',
                     },
                 )