diff --git a/commands/action.go b/commands/action.go
index 7d4f5fd6..9bd465cb 100644
--- a/commands/action.go
+++ b/commands/action.go
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func invokeAction(
 	qualifiedName QualifiedName,
 	parameters interface{},
 	blocking bool,
-	result bool) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	result bool) (interface{}, error) {
 	// TODO remove all global modifiers
 	Client.Namespace = qualifiedName.GetNamespace()
 	res, _, err := Client.Actions.Invoke(
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func printInvocationResponse(
 	qualifiedName QualifiedName,
 	blocking bool,
 	header bool,
-	result map[string]interface{},
+	result interface{},
 	err error) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		printInvocationMsg(qualifiedName, blocking, header, result, color.Output)
@@ -232,13 +232,13 @@ func printInvocationResponse(
 func printFailedBlockingInvocationResponse(
 	qualifiedName QualifiedName,
 	header bool,
-	result map[string]interface{},
+	result interface{},
 	err error) error {
 	if isBlockingTimeout(err) {
 		printBlockingTimeoutMsg(
 			qualifiedName.GetNamespace(),
 			qualifiedName.GetEntityName(),
-			getValueFromJSONResponse(ACTIVATION_ID, result))
+			getValueFromResponse(ACTIVATION_ID, result))
 		return err
 	} else if isApplicationError(err) {
 		printInvocationMsg(
@@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ func printInvocationMsg(
 	qualifiedName QualifiedName,
 	blocking bool,
 	header bool,
-	response map[string]interface{},
+	response interface{},
 	outputStream io.Writer) {
 	if header {
 		fmt.Fprintf(
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ func printInvocationMsg(
 					"ok":        color.GreenString("ok:"),
 					"namespace": boldString(qualifiedName.GetNamespace()),
 					"name":      boldString(qualifiedName.GetEntityName()),
-					"id":        boldString(getValueFromJSONResponse(ACTIVATION_ID, response)),
+					"id":        boldString(getValueFromResponse(ACTIVATION_ID, response)),
 				}))
 	}
 
diff --git a/commands/util.go b/commands/util.go
index 3fd930ef..66f6f1e7 100644
--- a/commands/util.go
+++ b/commands/util.go
@@ -604,17 +604,19 @@ func getChildValueStrings(keyValueArr whisk.KeyValueArr, key string, childKey st
 	return res
 }
 
-func getValueFromJSONResponse(field string, response map[string]interface{}) interface{} {
-	var res interface{}
-
-	for key, value := range response {
-		if key == field {
-			res = value
-			break
+func getValueFromResponse(field string, response interface{}) interface{} {
+	if result, ok := response.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+		for key, value := range result {
+			if key == field {
+				return value
+			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	return res
+	if result, ok := response.([]interface{}); ok {
+		return result
+	} else {
+		return ""
+	}
 }
 
 func logoText() string {