diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py b/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py
index 9cb228429da..23aec021e2e 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py
@@ -1235,6 +1235,19 @@ class Misc:
         exc, val, tb = sys.exc_info()
         root = self._root()
         root.report_callback_exception(exc, val, tb)
+
+    def _getconfigure(self, *args):
+        """Call Tcl configure command and return the result as a dict."""
+        cnf = {}
+        for x in self.tk.splitlist(self.tk.call(*args)):
+            x = self.tk.splitlist(x)
+            cnf[x[0][1:]] = (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
+        return cnf
+
+    def _getconfigure1(self, *args):
+        x = self.tk.splitlist(self.tk.call(*args))
+        return (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
+
     def _configure(self, cmd, cnf, kw):
         """Internal function."""
         if kw:
@@ -1242,15 +1255,9 @@ class Misc:
         elif cnf:
             cnf = _cnfmerge(cnf)
         if cnf is None:
-            cnf = {}
-            for x in self.tk.split(
-                    self.tk.call(_flatten((self._w, cmd)))):
-                cnf[x[0][1:]] = (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
-            return cnf
+            return self._getconfigure(_flatten((self._w, cmd)))
         if isinstance(cnf, str):
-            x = self.tk.split(
-                    self.tk.call(_flatten((self._w, cmd, '-'+cnf))))
-            return (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
+            return self._getconfigure1(_flatten((self._w, cmd, '-'+cnf)))
         self.tk.call(_flatten((self._w, cmd)) + self._options(cnf))
     # These used to be defined in Widget:
     def configure(self, cnf=None, **kw):
@@ -1271,7 +1278,7 @@ class Misc:
     def keys(self):
         """Return a list of all resource names of this widget."""
         return [x[0][1:] for x in
-                self.tk.split(self.tk.call(self._w, 'configure'))]
+                self.tk.splitlist(self.tk.call(self._w, 'configure'))]
     def __str__(self):
         """Return the window path name of this widget."""
         return self._w
@@ -3825,16 +3832,10 @@ class PanedWindow(Widget):
 
         """
         if cnf is None and not kw:
-            cnf = {}
-            for x in self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w,
-                         'paneconfigure', tagOrId)):
-                cnf[x[0][1:]] = (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
-            return cnf
+            return self._getconfigure(self._w, 'paneconfigure', tagOrId)
         if isinstance(cnf, str) and not kw:
-            x = self.tk.split(self.tk.call(
-                self._w, 'paneconfigure', tagOrId, '-'+cnf))
-            return (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
+            return self._getconfigure1(
+                self._w, 'paneconfigure', tagOrId, '-'+cnf)
         self.tk.call((self._w, 'paneconfigure', tagOrId) +
                  self._options(cnf, kw))
     paneconfig = paneconfigure
diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/test/widget_tests.py b/Lib/tkinter/test/widget_tests.py
index bd274e60d31..ac194a8995a 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/test/widget_tests.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/test/widget_tests.py
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ class AbstractWidgetTest:
         if not isinstance(widget, Scale):
             t = widget.configure(name)
             self.assertEqual(len(t), 5)
-            ## XXX
-            if not isinstance(t[4], tuple):
-                self.assertEqual2(t[4], expected, eq=eq)
+            self.assertEqual2(t[4], expected, eq=eq)
 
     def checkInvalidParam(self, widget, name, value, errmsg=None, *,
                           keep_orig=True):
diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/tix.py b/Lib/tkinter/tix.py
index 5eecd04132c..131aa062a55 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/tix.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/tix.py
@@ -122,13 +122,9 @@ class tixCommand:
         elif cnf:
             cnf = _cnfmerge(cnf)
         if cnf is None:
-            cnf = {}
-            for x in self.tk.split(self.tk.call('tix', 'configure')):
-                cnf[x[0][1:]] = (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
-            return cnf
+            return self._getconfigure('tix', 'configure')
         if isinstance(cnf, str):
-            x = self.tk.split(self.tk.call('tix', 'configure', '-'+cnf))
-            return (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
+            return self._getconfigure1('tix', 'configure', '-'+cnf)
         return self.tk.call(('tix', 'configure') + self._options(cnf))
 
     def tix_filedialog(self, dlgclass=None):
@@ -380,7 +376,7 @@ class TixWidget(tkinter.Widget):
         """Return the name of all subwidgets."""
         try:
             x = self.tk.call(self._w, 'subwidgets', '-all')
-            return self.tk.split(x)
+            return self.tk.splitlist(x)
         except TclError:
             return None
 
@@ -473,13 +469,6 @@ class TixSubWidget(TixWidget):
             self.tk.call('destroy', self._w)
 
 
-# Useful func. to split Tcl lists and return as a dict. From Tkinter.py
-def _lst2dict(lst):
-    dict = {}
-    for x in lst:
-        dict[x[0][1:]] = (x[0][1:],) + x[1:]
-    return dict
-
 # Useful class to create a display style - later shared by many items.
 # Contributed by Steffen Kremser
 class DisplayStyle:
@@ -515,10 +504,8 @@ class DisplayStyle:
         self.tk.call(self.stylename, 'configure', '-%s'%key, value)
 
     def config(self, cnf={}, **kw):
-        return _lst2dict(
-            self.tk.split(
-            self.tk.call(
-                  self.stylename, 'configure', *self._options(cnf,kw))))
+        return self._getconfigure(
+            self.stylename, 'configure', *self._options(cnf,kw))
 
     def __getitem__(self,key):
         return self.tk.call(self.stylename, 'cget', '-%s'%key)
@@ -928,9 +915,7 @@ class HList(TixWidget, XView, YView):
 
     def header_configure(self, col, cnf={}, **kw):
         if cnf is None:
-            return _lst2dict(
-                self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w, 'header', 'configure', col)))
+            return self._getconfigure(self._w, 'header', 'configure', col)
         self.tk.call(self._w, 'header', 'configure', col,
                      *self._options(cnf, kw))
 
@@ -955,9 +940,8 @@ class HList(TixWidget, XView, YView):
 
     def indicator_configure(self, entry, cnf={}, **kw):
         if cnf is None:
-            return _lst2dict(
-                self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w, 'indicator', 'configure', entry)))
+            return self._getconfigure(
+                self._w, 'indicator', 'configure', entry)
         self.tk.call(
               self._w, 'indicator', 'configure', entry, *self._options(cnf, kw))
 
@@ -1017,9 +1001,7 @@ class HList(TixWidget, XView, YView):
 
     def item_configure(self, entry, col, cnf={}, **kw):
         if cnf is None:
-            return _lst2dict(
-                self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w, 'item', 'configure', entry, col)))
+            return self._getconfigure(self._w, 'item', 'configure', entry, col)
         self.tk.call(self._w, 'item', 'configure', entry, col,
               *self._options(cnf, kw))
 
@@ -1038,9 +1020,7 @@ class HList(TixWidget, XView, YView):
 
     def entryconfigure(self, entry, cnf={}, **kw):
         if cnf is None:
-            return _lst2dict(
-                self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w, 'entryconfigure', entry)))
+            return self._getconfigure(self._w, 'entryconfigure', entry)
         self.tk.call(self._w, 'entryconfigure', entry,
               *self._options(cnf, kw))
 
@@ -1254,9 +1234,7 @@ class PanedWindow(TixWidget):
 
     def paneconfigure(self, entry, cnf={}, **kw):
         if cnf is None:
-            return _lst2dict(
-                self.tk.split(
-                self.tk.call(self._w, 'paneconfigure', entry)))
+            return self._getconfigure(self._w, 'paneconfigure', entry)
         self.tk.call(self._w, 'paneconfigure', entry, *self._options(cnf, kw))
 
     def panes(self):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index f9db232016d..eaf42fc2424 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #19020: Tkinter now uses splitlist() instead of split() in configure
+  methods.
+
 - Fix TypeError on "setup.py upload --show-response".
 
 - Issue #12226: HTTPS is now used by default when connecting to PyPI.