diff --git a/python/mxnet/gluon/data/dataloader.py b/python/mxnet/gluon/data/dataloader.py
index eb1eb419cd02..438224f45f1d 100644
--- a/python/mxnet/gluon/data/dataloader.py
+++ b/python/mxnet/gluon/data/dataloader.py
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ def default_mp_batchify_fn(data):
 
 def worker_loop(dataset, key_queue, data_queue, batchify_fn):
     """Worker loop for multiprocessing DataLoader."""
-    dataset._fork()
+    if hasattr(dataset, '_fork') and callable(dataset._fork):
+        dataset._fork()
     while True:
         idx, samples = key_queue.get()
         if idx is None:
diff --git a/tests/python/unittest/test_gluon_data.py b/tests/python/unittest/test_gluon_data.py
index 043804487b5e..0550a5481255 100644
--- a/tests/python/unittest/test_gluon_data.py
+++ b/tests/python/unittest/test_gluon_data.py
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ def test_image_folder_dataset():
     assert dataset.synsets == ['test_images']
     assert len(dataset.items) == 16
 
+@with_seed()
+def test_list_dataset():
+    for num_worker in range(0, 3):
+        data = mx.gluon.data.DataLoader([([1,2], 0), ([3, 4], 1)], batch_size=1, num_workers=num_worker)
+        for d, l in data:
+            pass
+
 
 class Dataset(gluon.data.Dataset):
     def __len__(self):