diff --git a/packages/select/src/components/omnibar/omnibar.tsx b/packages/select/src/components/omnibar/omnibar.tsx
index 8854ef9120..5a9bc5a93c 100644
--- a/packages/select/src/components/omnibar/omnibar.tsx
+++ b/packages/select/src/components/omnibar/omnibar.tsx
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ export class Omnibar<T> extends React.PureComponent<IOmnibarProps<T>> {
 
     public render() {
         // omit props specific to this component, spread the rest.
-        const { initialContent = null, isOpen, inputProps, overlayProps, ...restProps } = this.props;
+        const { isOpen, inputProps, overlayProps, ...restProps } = this.props;
+        const initialContent = "initialContent" in this.props ? this.props.initialContent : null;
+
         return <this.TypedQueryList {...restProps} initialContent={initialContent} renderer={this.renderQueryList} />;
     }