diff --git a/templates/headers/ConTeXtHeader b/templates/headers/ConTeXtHeader
index fedc7e3de..d19b41c45 100644
--- a/templates/headers/ConTeXtHeader
+++ b/templates/headers/ConTeXtHeader
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@
   headstyle=bold,style=normal,align=left,location=hanging,
   width=broad,margin=1cm]
 
+% prevent orphaned list intros
+\setupitemize[autointro]
+
 % define defaults for bulleted lists 
 \setupitemize[1][symbol=1][indentnext=no]
 \setupitemize[2][symbol=2][indentnext=no]
diff --git a/tests/writer.context b/tests/writer.context
index 12d54d206..79a778a2b 100644
--- a/tests/writer.context
+++ b/tests/writer.context
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@
   headstyle=bold,style=normal,align=left,location=hanging,
   width=broad,margin=1cm]
 
+% prevent orphaned list intros
+\setupitemize[autointro]
+
 % define defaults for bulleted lists 
 \setupitemize[1][symbol=1][indentnext=no]
 \setupitemize[2][symbol=2][indentnext=no]