diff --git a/extensions/amp-list/0.1/amp-list.js b/extensions/amp-list/0.1/amp-list.js
index 58c917e1e9f71..4e6da408d3b7b 100644
--- a/extensions/amp-list/0.1/amp-list.js
+++ b/extensions/amp-list/0.1/amp-list.js
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ export class AmpList extends AMP.BaseElement {
       this.initializeLoadMoreElements_();
     }
 
+    if (this.isAmpStateSrc_(this.element.getAttribute('src'))) {
+      return this.renderLocalData_(this.element.getAttribute('src'));
+    }
+
     return this.fetchList_();
   }
 
@@ -371,7 +375,7 @@ export class AmpList extends AMP.BaseElement {
         escapeCssSelectorIdent(`#${ampStateId}`)
       );
       if (!ampStateEl) {
-        const errorMsg = `amp-state could not be found for id: ${ampStateId}`;
+        const errorMsg = `An amp-state element with id: ${ampStateId} could not be found.`;
         return Promise.reject(new Error(errorMsg));
       }
       if (
@@ -413,8 +417,8 @@ export class AmpList extends AMP.BaseElement {
     const src = mutations['src'];
     const state = /** @type {!JsonObject} */ (mutations)['state'];
     if (src !== undefined) {
-      if (typeof src === 'object' || this.isAmpStateSrc_(src)) {
-        promise = this.renderLocalData_(/** @type {!Object} */ (src));
+      if (typeof src === 'object') {
+        promise = this.renderLocalData_(src);
       } else if (typeof src === 'string') {
         // Defer to fetch in layoutCallback() before first layout.
         if (this.layoutCompleted_) {
@@ -602,8 +606,6 @@ export class AmpList extends AMP.BaseElement {
     const elementSrc = this.element.getAttribute('src');
     if (!elementSrc) {
       return Promise.resolve();
-    } else if (this.isAmpStateSrc_(elementSrc)) {
-      return this.renderLocalData_(elementSrc);
     }
 
     let fetch;
diff --git a/extensions/amp-list/0.1/test/test-amp-list.js b/extensions/amp-list/0.1/test/test-amp-list.js
index 219a3412688ed..b43e6e48bf157 100644
--- a/extensions/amp-list/0.1/test/test-amp-list.js
+++ b/extensions/amp-list/0.1/test/test-amp-list.js
@@ -1277,6 +1277,23 @@ describes.repeated(
                 .once();
               await list.layoutCallback();
             });
+
+            // Only valid for init.
+            it('should throw if setting [src] with "amp-state:" protocol.', async () => {
+              toggleExperiment(win, experimentName, true);
+              bind.getState = () => [1, 2, 3];
+
+              const ampStateEl = doc.createElement('amp-state');
+              ampStateEl.setAttribute('id', 'okapis');
+              const ampStateJson = doc.createElement('script');
+              ampStateJson.setAttribute('type', 'application/json');
+              ampStateEl.appendChild(ampStateJson);
+              doc.body.appendChild(ampStateEl);
+
+              expect(list.mutatedAttributesCallback({
+                'src': 'amp-state:okapis',
+              })).to.eventually.be.rejectedWith('Invalid value: amp-state:okapis)
+            });
           });
         }); // with amp-bind
       }