@@ -569,25 +569,23 @@ def _preprocess_add_items(self, items):
         """ Split the items into two lists of path strings and BaseEntries. """
         paths = []
         entries = []
-        
-        if isinstance(items, string_types):
-            paths.append(self._to_relative_path(items))
-        elif isinstance(items, (Blob, Submodule)):
-            entries.append(BaseIndexEntry.from_blob(items))
-        elif isinstance(items, BaseIndexEntry):
-            entries.append(items)
-        else:            
-            for item in items:
-                if isinstance(item, string_types):
-                    paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item))
-                elif isinstance(item, (Blob, Submodule)):
-                    entries.append(BaseIndexEntry.from_blob(item))
-                elif isinstance(item, BaseIndexEntry):
-                    entries.append(item)
-                else:
-                    raise TypeError("Invalid Type: %r" % item)
+        # check if is iterable, else put in list
+        try:
+            test_item = iter(items)
+        except TypeError:
+            items = [items]
+
+        for item in items:
+            if isinstance(item, string_types):
+                paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item))
+            elif isinstance(item, (Blob, Submodule)):
+                entries.append(BaseIndexEntry.from_blob(item))
+            elif isinstance(item, BaseIndexEntry):
+                entries.append(item)
+            else:
+                raise TypeError("Invalid Type: %r" % item)
         # END for each item
-        return (paths, entries)
+        return paths, entries
 
     def _store_path(self, filepath, fprogress):
         """Store file at filepath in the database and return the base index entry
@@ -808,18 +806,19 @@ def _items_to_rela_paths(self, items):
         """Returns a list of repo-relative paths from the given items which
         may be absolute or relative paths, entries or blobs"""
         paths = []
-        if isinstance(items, (BaseIndexEntry, (Blob, Submodule))):
-            paths.append(self._to_relative_path(items.path))
-        elif isinstance(items, string_types):
-            paths.append(self._to_relative_path(items))
-        else:
-            for item in items:
-                if isinstance(item, (BaseIndexEntry, (Blob, Submodule))):
-                    paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item.path))
-                elif isinstance(item, string_types):
-                    paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item))
-                else:
-                    raise TypeError("Invalid item type: %r" % item)
+        # check if is iterable, else put in list
+        try:
+            test_item = iter(items)
+        except TypeError:
+            items = [items]
+
+        for item in items:
+            if isinstance(item, (BaseIndexEntry, (Blob, Submodule))):
+                paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item.path))
+            elif isinstance(item, string_types):
+                paths.append(self._to_relative_path(item))
+            else:
+                raise TypeError("Invalid item type: %r" % item)
         # END for each item
         return paths