diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/stronger.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/stronger.rkt
index 9004535ba1..ef725a0b8e 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/stronger.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/stronger.rkt
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@
         (or/c (-> string?) (-> integer? integer?) integer?)
         (or/c (-> integer? integer?) integer?))
   
+  (ctest #t contract-stronger? (list/c) '())
+  (ctest #t contract-stronger? (list/c) '())
   (ctest #t contract-stronger? (cons/c boolean? integer?) (cons/c boolean? integer?))
   (ctest #f contract-stronger? (cons/c boolean? integer?) (cons/c integer? boolean?))
   (ctest #t contract-stronger? (cons/c number? (listof number?)) (non-empty-listof number?))
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/guts.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/guts.rkt
index 10b3b6abcb..b59d57cb2a 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/guts.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/guts.rkt
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
          contract-custom-write-property-proc
          (rename-out [contract-custom-write-property-proc custom-write-property-proc])
          
-         set-listof-any-and-cons/c-anyany!)
+         set-some-basic-contracts!)
 
 (define (contract-custom-write-property-proc stct port display?)
   (write-string "#<" port)
@@ -220,9 +220,11 @@
 ;; bang it in here and use it only after it's been banged in.
 (define listof-any #f)
 (define consc-anyany #f)
-(define (set-listof-any-and-cons/c-anyany! l p)
+(define list/c-empty #f)
+(define (set-some-basic-contracts! l p mt)
   (set! listof-any l)
-  (set! consc-anyany p))
+  (set! consc-anyany p)
+  (set! list/c-empty mt))
 
 (define (coerce-contract/f x [name name-default])
   (define (coerce-simple-value x)
@@ -239,7 +241,8 @@
                                    x
                                    #f
                                    (memq x the-known-good-contracts))])]
-      [(or (symbol? x) (boolean? x) (char? x) (null? x) (keyword? x))
+      [(null? x) list/c-empty]
+      [(or (symbol? x) (boolean? x) (char? x) (keyword? x))
        (make-eq-contract x
                          (if (name-default? name)
                              (if (or (null? x)
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
index 0d0c33248e..3835b3a0fe 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
@@ -1135,8 +1135,11 @@
      (higher-order-list/c ctc-args)]))
 
 (define (list/c-name-proc c) 
-  (apply build-compound-type-name
-         'list/c (generic-list/c-args c)))
+  (define args (generic-list/c-args c))
+  (cond
+    [(null? args) ''()]
+    [else (apply build-compound-type-name 'list/c args)]))
+
 (define ((list/c-first-order c) x)
   (and (list? x)
        (= (length x) (length (generic-list/c-args c)))
@@ -2108,5 +2111,8 @@
      [else "th"])))
 
 ;; this is a hack to work around cyclic linking issues;
-;; see definition of set-listof-any-and-cons/c-anyany!
-(set-listof-any-and-cons/c-anyany! (listof any/c) (cons/c any/c any/c))
+;; see definition of set-some-basic-contracts!
+(set-some-basic-contracts!
+ (listof any/c)
+ (cons/c any/c any/c)
+ (list/c))