diff --git a/src/model/transaction/__tests__/__snapshots__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js.snap b/src/model/transaction/__tests__/__snapshots__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js.snap
index 60085665dd..ce9eac7d0e 100644
--- a/src/model/transaction/__tests__/__snapshots__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js.snap
+++ b/src/model/transaction/__tests__/__snapshots__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,229 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`must convert empty list item ContentBlock to unstyled rather than split 1`] = `
+Array [
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+    ],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "A",
+    "nextSibling": "B",
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": null,
+    "text": "Alpha",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [
+      "C",
+      "F",
+    ],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "B",
+    "nextSibling": "G",
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "A",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [
+      "D",
+      "E",
+    ],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "C",
+    "nextSibling": "F",
+    "parent": "B",
+    "prevSibling": null,
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+    ],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "D",
+    "nextSibling": "E",
+    "parent": "C",
+    "prevSibling": null,
+    "text": "Delta",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+    ],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "E",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": "C",
+    "prevSibling": "D",
+    "text": "Elephant",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+    ],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "F",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": "B",
+    "prevSibling": "C",
+    "text": "Fire",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+      Object {
+        "entity": null,
+        "style": Array [],
+      },
+    ],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "G",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "B",
+    "text": "Gorila",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unstyled",
+  },
+]
+`;
+
 exports[`must split at the beginning of a block 1`] = `
 Array [
   Object {
@@ -395,6 +619,18 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
 
@@ -619,6 +855,18 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
 
@@ -1017,6 +1265,18 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
 
@@ -1241,6 +1501,18 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
 
@@ -1641,6 +1913,18 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
 
@@ -1866,5 +2150,17 @@ Array [
     "text": "Gorila",
     "type": "unstyled",
   },
+  Object {
+    "characterList": Array [],
+    "children": Array [],
+    "data": Object {},
+    "depth": 0,
+    "key": "H",
+    "nextSibling": null,
+    "parent": null,
+    "prevSibling": "G",
+    "text": "",
+    "type": "unordered-list-item",
+  },
 ]
 `;
diff --git a/src/model/transaction/__tests__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js b/src/model/transaction/__tests__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js
index db47538bdf..11656875ca 100644
--- a/src/model/transaction/__tests__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js
+++ b/src/model/transaction/__tests__/splitBlockInContentState-test.js
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ const contentBlockNodes = [
     prevSibling: 'B',
     text: 'Gorila',
   }),
+  new ContentBlockNode({
+    key: 'H',
+    prevSibling: 'G',
+    text: '',
+    type: 'unordered-list-item',
+  }),
 ];
 const treeSelectionState = SelectionState.createEmpty('A');
 const treeContentState = contentState.set(
@@ -208,3 +214,15 @@ test('must split at the end of a nested ContentBlock', () => {
     treeContentState,
   );
 });
+
+test('must convert empty list item ContentBlock to unstyled rather than split', () => {
+  assertSplitBlockInContentState(
+    treeSelectionState.merge({
+      anchorOffset: 0,
+      focusOffset: 0,
+      anchorKey: 'H',
+      focusKey: 'H',
+    }),
+    treeContentState,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/model/transaction/splitBlockInContentState.js b/src/model/transaction/splitBlockInContentState.js
index f7ec6f7fc6..0d3c20d989 100644
--- a/src/model/transaction/splitBlockInContentState.js
+++ b/src/model/transaction/splitBlockInContentState.js
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ import type ContentState from 'ContentState';
 import type SelectionState from 'SelectionState';
 
 const ContentBlockNode = require('ContentBlockNode');
-const Immutable = require('immutable');
 
 const generateRandomKey = require('generateRandomKey');
+const Immutable = require('immutable');
 const invariant = require('invariant');
+const modifyBlockForContentState = require('modifyBlockForContentState');
 
 const {List, Map} = Immutable;
 
@@ -95,10 +96,23 @@ const splitBlockInContentState = (
   invariant(selectionState.isCollapsed(), 'Selection range must be collapsed.');
 
   const key = selectionState.getAnchorKey();
-  const offset = selectionState.getAnchorOffset();
   const blockMap = contentState.getBlockMap();
   const blockToSplit = blockMap.get(key);
   const text = blockToSplit.getText();
+
+  if (!text) {
+    const blockType = blockToSplit.getType();
+    if (
+      blockType === 'unordered-list-item' ||
+      blockType === 'ordered-list-item'
+    ) {
+      return modifyBlockForContentState(contentState, selectionState, block =>
+        block.merge({type: 'unstyled', depth: 0}),
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  const offset = selectionState.getAnchorOffset();
   const chars = blockToSplit.getCharacterList();
   const keyBelow = generateRandomKey();
   const isExperimentalTreeBlock = blockToSplit instanceof ContentBlockNode;