diff --git a/src/controlflow/tasks/task.py b/src/controlflow/tasks/task.py
index a2f59bce..edf9cfd0 100644
--- a/src/controlflow/tasks/task.py
+++ b/src/controlflow/tasks/task.py
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ async def run_async(
 
     @contextmanager
     def create_context(self):
-        stack = ctx.get("tasks", [])
+        stack = ctx.get("tasks") or []
         with ctx(tasks=stack + [self]):
             yield self
 
diff --git a/src/controlflow/utilities/context.py b/src/controlflow/utilities/context.py
index 4d03dda5..871221bb 100644
--- a/src/controlflow/utilities/context.py
+++ b/src/controlflow/utilities/context.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def __call__(self, **kwargs: Any) -> Generator[None, None, Any]:
 ctx = ScopedContext(
     dict(
         flow=None,
-        tasks=[],
+        tasks=None,
         agent=None,
         orchestrator=None,
         tui=None,
diff --git a/tests/flows/test_flows.py b/tests/flows/test_flows.py
index f5a85ac3..518827f7 100644
--- a/tests/flows/test_flows.py
+++ b/tests/flows/test_flows.py
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ class TestFlowContext:
     def test_flow_context_manager(self):
         with Flow() as flow:
             assert ctx.get("flow") == flow
-            assert ctx.get("tasks") == []
+            assert ctx.get("tasks") is None
         assert ctx.get("flow") is None
-        assert ctx.get("tasks") == []
+        assert ctx.get("tasks") is None
 
     def test_get_flow_within_context(self):
         with Flow() as flow:
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def test_flow_context_resets_task_tracking(self):
                 nested_task = Task("Nested task")
                 assert nested_task.parent is None
             assert ctx.get("tasks") == [parent_task]
-        assert ctx.get("tasks") == []
+        assert ctx.get("tasks") is None
 
 
 class TestFlowHistory:
diff --git a/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py b/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
index 83007162..d1596807 100644
--- a/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/tasks/test_tasks.py
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ def test_status_coverage():
 
 
 def test_context_open_and_close():
-    assert ctx.get("tasks") == []
+    assert ctx.get("tasks") is None
     with SimpleTask() as ta:
         assert ctx.get("tasks") == [ta]
         with SimpleTask() as tb:
             assert ctx.get("tasks") == [ta, tb]
         assert ctx.get("tasks") == [ta]
-    assert ctx.get("tasks") == []
+    assert ctx.get("tasks") is None
 
 
 def test_task_requires_objective():