diff --git a/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/main/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePicker.java b/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/main/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePicker.java
index cbdb002d558..72cb49eead5 100644
--- a/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/main/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePicker.java
+++ b/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/main/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePicker.java
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ public class DatePicker extends GeneratedVaadinDatePicker<DatePicker, LocalDate>
      */
     public DatePicker() {
         this((LocalDate) null, true);
+        // Trigger model-to-presentation conversion in constructor, so that
+        // the client side component has a correct initial value of an empty
+        // string
+        this.setPresentationValue(null);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/test/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePickerTest.java b/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/test/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePickerTest.java
index 55847081ad8..60fed87c727 100644
--- a/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/test/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePickerTest.java
+++ b/vaadin-date-picker-flow-parent/vaadin-date-picker-flow/src/test/java/com/vaadin/flow/component/datepicker/DatePickerTest.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public void datePicker_basicCases() {
         DatePicker picker = new DatePicker();
 
         Assert.assertNull(picker.getValue());
-        Assert.assertFalse(picker.getElement().hasProperty("value"));
+        Assert.assertEquals("", picker.getElement().getProperty("value"));
 
         picker.setValue(LocalDate.of(2018, 4, 25));
         Assert.assertEquals("2018-04-25",
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public void datePicker_basicCases() {
     public void defaultCtor_does_not_update_values() {
         DatePicker picker = new DatePicker();
         Assert.assertNull(picker.getValue());
-        Assert.assertNull(picker.getElement().getProperty("value"));
+        Assert.assertEquals("", picker.getElement().getProperty("value"));
     }
 
     @Test