diff --git a/Libraries/Lists/VirtualizedList.js b/Libraries/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
index 75ad8f0ca46b19..9d1d336eccc762 100644
--- a/Libraries/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
+++ b/Libraries/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
@@ -871,16 +871,19 @@ export default class VirtualizedList extends StateSafePureComponent<
         <ListEmptyComponent />
       )): any);
       cells.push(
-        React.cloneElement(element, {
-          key: '$empty',
-          onLayout: (event: LayoutEvent) => {
-            this._onLayoutEmpty(event);
-            if (element.props.onLayout) {
-              element.props.onLayout(event);
-            }
-          },
-          style: StyleSheet.compose(inversionStyle, element.props.style),
-        }),
+        <VirtualizedListCellContextProvider
+          cellKey={this._getCellKey() + '-empty'}
+          key="$empty">
+          {React.cloneElement(element, {
+            onLayout: (event: LayoutEvent) => {
+              this._onLayoutEmpty(event);
+              if (element.props.onLayout) {
+                element.props.onLayout(event);
+              }
+            },
+            style: StyleSheet.compose(inversionStyle, element.props.style),
+          })}
+        </VirtualizedListCellContextProvider>,
       );
     }
 
diff --git a/Libraries/Lists/__tests__/VirtualizedList-test.js b/Libraries/Lists/__tests__/VirtualizedList-test.js
index fa0c40b3b5d636..e05f68ee8708aa 100644
--- a/Libraries/Lists/__tests__/VirtualizedList-test.js
+++ b/Libraries/Lists/__tests__/VirtualizedList-test.js
@@ -245,6 +245,32 @@ describe('VirtualizedList', () => {
     expect(component).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 
+  it('handles nested list in ListEmptyComponent', () => {
+    const ListEmptyComponent = (
+      <VirtualizedList {...baseItemProps(generateItems(1))} />
+    );
+
+    let component;
+
+    ReactTestRenderer.act(() => {
+      component = ReactTestRenderer.create(
+        <VirtualizedList
+          {...baseItemProps([])}
+          ListEmptyComponent={ListEmptyComponent}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+
+    ReactTestRenderer.act(() => {
+      component.update(
+        <VirtualizedList
+          {...baseItemProps(generateItems(5))}
+          ListEmptyComponent={ListEmptyComponent}
+        />,
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
   it('returns the viewableItems correctly in the onViewableItemsChanged callback after changing the data', () => {
     const ITEM_HEIGHT = 800;
     let data = [{key: 'i1'}, {key: 'i2'}, {key: 'i3'}];