diff --git a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactShallowRenderer.js b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactShallowRenderer.js
index ef50aafa28d..6c55709bca6 100644
--- a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactShallowRenderer.js
+++ b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactShallowRenderer.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class ReactShallowRenderer {
   _mountClassComponent(props, context) {
     this._instance.context = context;
     this._instance.props = props;
-    this._instance.state = this._instance.state || emptyObject;
+    this._instance.state = this._instance.state || null;
     this._instance.updater = this._updater;
 
     if (typeof this._instance.componentWillMount === 'function') {
diff --git a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/__tests__/ReactShallowRenderer-test.js b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/__tests__/ReactShallowRenderer-test.js
index a2e572e7bd3..fc76810aa1f 100644
--- a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/__tests__/ReactShallowRenderer-test.js
+++ b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/__tests__/ReactShallowRenderer-test.js
@@ -947,4 +947,17 @@ describe('ReactShallowRenderer', () => {
     renderAndVerifyWarningAndError([], 'array');
     renderAndVerifyWarningAndError({}, 'object');
   });
+
+  it('should have initial state of null if not defined', () => {
+    class SomeComponent extends React.Component {
+      render() {
+        return <span />;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const shallowRenderer = createRenderer();
+    shallowRenderer.render(<SomeComponent />);
+
+    expect(shallowRenderer.getMountedInstance().state).toBeNull();
+  });
 });