diff --git a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/__snapshots__/viewer-component.test.js.snap b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/__snapshots__/viewer-component.test.js.snap
index c287740e10..d3bd869965 100644
--- a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/__snapshots__/viewer-component.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/__snapshots__/viewer-component.test.js.snap
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ exports[`List List component with ascending indents 1`] = `
                         </span>
                       </span>
                       <ul
-                        start={1}
                         style={
                           Object {
                             "color": "#000",
@@ -478,7 +477,6 @@ exports[`List List component with inverse indentation 1`] = `
                       }
                     >
                       <ul
-                        start={1}
                         style={
                           Object {
                             "color": "#000",
@@ -655,7 +653,6 @@ exports[`List List component with irregular indentation 1`] = `
                       }
                     >
                       <ul
-                        start={1}
                         style={
                           Object {
                             "color": "#000",
diff --git a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.js b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.js
index 973bf3c7fe..de1668b6a9 100644
--- a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.js
+++ b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.js
@@ -7,7 +7,17 @@ const getStyleWithDefaults = function(indent, defaultType, style = null) {
 	const styleWithDefaults = new ListStyle()
 
 	styleWithDefaults.type = style && style.type ? style.type : defaultType
-	styleWithDefaults.start = style && style.start !== null ? style.start : 1
+
+	if (style) {
+		if (style.type === 'ordered') {
+			styleWithDefaults.start = style && style.start !== null ? style.start : 1
+		} else {
+			styleWithDefaults.start = style.start
+		}
+	} else {
+		styleWithDefaults.start = 1
+	}
+
 	styleWithDefaults.bulletStyle =
 		style && style.bulletStyle
 			? style.bulletStyle
@@ -19,15 +29,24 @@ const getStyleWithDefaults = function(indent, defaultType, style = null) {
 class ListStyle {
 	constructor(opts = {}) {
 		this.type = opts.type || null
-		this.start = opts.start || null
+		if (this.type !== 'unordered') {
+			this.start = opts.start || null
+		}
 		this.bulletStyle = opts.bulletStyle || null
 	}
 
 	toDescriptor() {
-		return {
-			type: this.type || null,
-			start: this.start || null,
-			bulletStyle: this.bulletStyle || null
+		if (this.type !== 'unordered') {
+			return {
+				type: this.type || null,
+				start: this.start || null,
+				bulletStyle: this.bulletStyle || null
+			}
+		} else {
+			return {
+				type: this.type,
+				bulletStyle: this.bulletStyle
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.test.js b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.test.js
index fe68523d71..1cfc380aa1 100644
--- a/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.test.js
+++ b/packages/obonode/obojobo-chunks-list/list-styles.test.js
@@ -38,13 +38,12 @@ describe('List Styles', () => {
 		})
 	})
 
-	test('get retrives default values', () => {
+	test('get retrieves default values', () => {
 		const ls = new ListStyles()
 		ls.init()
 
 		expect(ls.get(0).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'disc'
 		})
 	})
@@ -119,43 +118,36 @@ describe('List Styles', () => {
 
 		expect(ls.get(0).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'disc'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(1).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'circle'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(2).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'square'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(3).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'disc'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(4).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'circle'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(5).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'square'
 		})
 
 		expect(ls.get(6).toDescriptor()).toEqual({
 			type: 'unordered',
-			start: 1,
 			bulletStyle: 'disc'
 		})
 	})
@@ -298,4 +290,36 @@ describe('List Styles', () => {
 		expect(ls).not.toBe(other)
 		expect(ls.toDescriptor()).toEqual(other.toDescriptor())
 	})
+
+	test('all lists do not have a start attribute and are unordered as default', () => {
+		const ls = new ListStyles()
+		ls.init()
+
+		for (const indent in ls.styles) {
+			ls.get(indent)
+			expect(ls.type).toBe('unordered')
+			expect(ls.start).toBe(undefined)
+		}
+	})
+
+	test('all unordered lists do not have a start attribute', () => {
+		const ls = new ListStyles('unordered')
+		ls.init()
+
+		for (const indent in ls.styles) {
+			ls.get(indent)
+			expect(ls.type).toBe('unordered')
+			expect(ls.start).toBe(undefined)
+		}
+	})
+
+	test('all ordered lists do have a start attribute', () => {
+		const ls = new ListStyles('ordered')
+
+		for (const indent in ls.styles) {
+			ls.get(indent)
+			expect(ls.type).toBe('ordered')
+			expect(ls.start).toBe(true)
+		}
+	})
 })