diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/app.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/app.dart
index f86fb35189..b033b93311 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/app.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/app.dart
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ class _MaterialAppState extends State<MaterialApp> {
       _navigatorObservers = List<NavigatorObserver>.from(widget.navigatorObservers)
         ..add(_heroController);
     } else {
-      _navigatorObservers = null;
+      _navigatorObservers = const <NavigatorObserver>[];
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/material/app_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/material/app_test.dart
index 5cc30aa0f0..56c9fa7659 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/material/app_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/material/app_test.dart
@@ -381,6 +381,17 @@ void main() {
     expect(log, <String>['onGenerateRoute /', 'onUnknownRoute /']);
   });
 
+  testWidgets('MaterialApp with builder and no route information works.', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    // Regression test for https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/18904
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      MaterialApp(
+        builder: (BuildContext context, Widget child) {
+          return const SizedBox();
+        },
+      ),
+    );
+  });
+
   testWidgets('Can get text scale from media query', (WidgetTester tester) async {
     double textScaleFactor;
     await tester.pumpWidget(MaterialApp(