diff --git a/lisp/icomplete.el b/lisp/icomplete.el
index 95a6e1b..dc90f0e 100644
--- a/lisp/icomplete.el
+++ b/lisp/icomplete.el
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ Usually run by inclusion in `minibuffer-setup-hook'."
     (add-hook 'post-command-hook #'icomplete-post-command-hook nil t)
     (run-hooks 'icomplete-minibuffer-setup-hook)
     (when icomplete-show-matches-on-no-input
+      (setq completion-use-stored-completions-when-no-input t)
       (icomplete-exhibit))))
 
 (defvar icomplete--in-region-buffer nil)
diff --git a/lisp/minibuffer.el b/lisp/minibuffer.el
index c9ce381..4ea0530 100644
--- a/lisp/minibuffer.el
+++ b/lisp/minibuffer.el
@@ -969,6 +969,7 @@ completion candidates than this number."
 (defvar-local completion-all-sorted-completions nil)
 (defvar-local completion--all-sorted-completions-location nil)
 (defvar completion-cycling nil)
+(defvar completion-use-stored-completions-when-no-input nil)
 
 (defvar completion-fail-discreetly nil
   "If non-nil, stay quiet when there  is no match.")
@@ -1332,8 +1333,15 @@ If `minibuffer-completion-confirm' is `confirm-after-completion',
 COMPLETION-FUNCTION is called if the current buffer's content does not
 appear to be a match."
     (cond
-     ;; Allow user to specify null string
-   ((= beg end) (funcall exit-function))
+     ;; Allow user to specify null string.  In the case that
+     ;; `completion-use-stored-completions-when-no-input' is t, use
+     ;; the car of `completion-all-sorted-completions' as the
+     ;; candidate.
+     ((= beg end)
+      (when completion-use-stored-completions-when-no-input
+        (completion--replace beg end (car completion-all-sorted-completions)))
+      (funcall exit-function))
+
      ((test-completion (buffer-substring beg end)
                        minibuffer-completion-table
                        minibuffer-completion-predicate)