diff --git a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/recurrent.py b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/recurrent.py
index a90415220a2..11ac4494af0 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/recurrent.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/recurrent.py
@@ -2370,7 +2370,7 @@ class UnifiedGRU(DropoutRNNCellMixin, GRU):
       output = last_output
 
     if self.return_state:
-      return [output] + states
+      return [output] + list(states)
     elif self._return_runtime:
       return output, runtime
     else:
@@ -3404,7 +3404,7 @@ class UnifiedLSTM(DropoutRNNCellMixin, LSTM):
       output = last_output
 
     if self.return_state:
-      return [output] + states
+      return [output] + list(states)
     elif self.return_runtime:
       return output, runtime
     else:
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_gru_test.py b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_gru_test.py
index db861042380..3015b8bbfb0 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_gru_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_gru_test.py
@@ -335,6 +335,21 @@ class UnifiedGRUTest(keras_parameterized.TestCase):
                 'return_sequences': True},
         input_shape=(num_samples, timesteps, embedding_dim))
 
+  def test_return_states_GRU(self):
+    layer_class = keras.layers.UnifiedGRU
+    x = np.random.random((2, 3, 4))
+    y = np.abs(np.random.random((2, 5)))
+    s = np.abs(np.random.random((2, 5)))
+    inputs = keras.layers.Input(
+        shape=[3, 4], dtype=dtypes.float32)
+    masked = keras.layers.Masking()(inputs)
+    outputs, states = layer_class(units=5, return_state=True)(masked)
+
+    model = keras.models.Model(inputs, [outputs, states])
+    model.compile(loss='categorical_crossentropy',
+                  optimizer=gradient_descent.GradientDescentOptimizer(0.001))
+    model.fit(x, [y, s], epochs=1, batch_size=2, verbose=1)
+
   def test_dropout_GRU(self):
     num_samples = 2
     timesteps = 3
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_lstm_test.py b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_lstm_test.py
index 01089e1165f..316ce74d801 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_lstm_test.py
+++ b/tensorflow/python/keras/layers/unified_lstm_test.py
@@ -238,8 +238,9 @@ class UnifiedLSTMTest(keras_parameterized.TestCase):
     num_samples = 2
 
     inputs = keras.Input(batch_shape=(num_samples, timesteps, embedding_dim))
+    masked = keras.layers.Masking()(inputs)
     layer = keras.layers.UnifiedLSTM(units, return_state=True, stateful=True)
-    outputs = layer(inputs)
+    outputs = layer(masked)
     state = outputs[1:]
     assert len(state) == num_states
     model = keras.models.Model(inputs, state[0])