diff --git a/config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigList.java b/config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigList.java
index 5ec13f29..ec5a4b98 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigList.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigList.java
@@ -98,7 +98,11 @@ final class SimpleConfigList extends AbstractConfigValue implements ConfigList,
         }
 
         if (changed != null) {
-            return new SimpleConfigList(origin(), changed, newResolveStatus);
+            if (newResolveStatus != null) {
+                return new SimpleConfigList(origin(), changed, newResolveStatus);
+            } else {
+                return new SimpleConfigList(origin(), changed);
+            }
         } else {
             return this;
         }
@@ -122,7 +126,7 @@ final class SimpleConfigList extends AbstractConfigValue implements ConfigList,
                         return context.resolve(v);
                     }
 
-                }, ResolveStatus.RESOLVED);
+                }, null /* don't force resolve status -- could be allowing unresolved */);
             } catch (NotPossibleToResolve e) {
                 throw e;
             } catch (RuntimeException e) {
diff --git a/config/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConfigTest.scala b/config/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConfigTest.scala
index a68f3897..568c19a0 100644
--- a/config/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConfigTest.scala
+++ b/config/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConfigTest.scala
@@ -1120,9 +1120,10 @@ class ConfigTest extends TestUtils {
 
     @Test
     def allowUnresolvedDoesAllowUnresolved() {
-        val values = ConfigFactory.parseString("{ foo = 1, bar = 2, m = 3, n = 4}")
+        val values = ConfigFactory.parseString("{ foo = 1, bar = 2, m = 3, n = 4, unknown = [someVal]}")
         assertTrue("config with no substitutions starts as resolved", values.isResolved)
-        val unresolved = ConfigFactory.parseString("a = ${foo}, b = ${bar}, c { x = ${m}, y = ${n}, z = foo${m}bar }, alwaysResolveable=${alwaysValue}, alwaysValue=42")
+        val unresolved = ConfigFactory.parseString(
+          "l = [${unknown}[]], l2 = [${unknown}, ${alwaysValue}], a = ${foo}, b = ${bar}, c { x = ${m}, y = ${n}, z = foo${m}bar }, alwaysResolveable=${alwaysValue}, alwaysValue=42")
         assertFalse("config with substitutions starts as not resolved", unresolved.isResolved)
 
         // resolve() by default throws with unresolveable substs