diff --git a/__tests__/List.ts b/__tests__/List.ts
index 2cb28ee6a6..1fa808b807 100644
--- a/__tests__/List.ts
+++ b/__tests__/List.ts
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ describe('List', () => {
   it('chained mutations does not result in new empty list instance', () => {
     const v1 = List(['x']);
     const v2 = v1.withMutations(v => v.push('y').pop().pop());
-    expect(v2).toBe(List());
+    expect(v2).toEqual(List());
   });
 
   it('calling `clear` and `setSize` should set all items to undefined', () => {
@@ -927,6 +927,37 @@ describe('List', () => {
     expect(isNaNValue(list.get(0))).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it('return a new emptyList if the emptyList has been mutated #2003', () => {
+    const emptyList = List();
+
+    const nonEmptyList = emptyList.withMutations(l => {
+      l.setSize(1);
+      l.set(0, 'a');
+    });
+
+    expect(nonEmptyList.size).toBe(1);
+    expect(nonEmptyList).toEqual(List.of('a'));
+    expect(emptyList.size).toBe(0);
+
+    const mutableList = emptyList.asMutable();
+
+    mutableList.setSize(1);
+    mutableList.set(0, 'b');
+
+    expect(mutableList.size).toBe(1);
+    expect(mutableList).toEqual(List.of('b'));
+
+    expect(emptyList.size).toBe(0);
+    expect(List().size).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('Mutating empty list with a JS API should not mutate new instances', () => {
+    Object.assign(List(), List([1, 2]));
+
+    expect(List().size).toBe(0);
+    expect(List().toArray()).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   // Note: NaN is the only value not equal to itself. The isNaN() built-in
   // function returns true for any non-numeric value, not just the NaN value.
   function isNaNValue(value) {
diff --git a/src/List.js b/src/List.js
index e512bb90db..be698316d3 100644
--- a/src/List.js
+++ b/src/List.js
@@ -408,9 +408,8 @@ function makeList(origin, capacity, level, root, tail, ownerID, hash) {
   return list;
 }
 
-let EMPTY_LIST;
 export function emptyList() {
-  return EMPTY_LIST || (EMPTY_LIST = makeList(0, 0, SHIFT));
+  return makeList(0, 0, SHIFT);
 }
 
 function updateList(list, index, value) {