diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstance.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstance.java
index 73051ab..51fbbf5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstance.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstance.java
@@ -363,9 +363,8 @@
      * @return The root context.
      */
     public Context getRootContext() {
-        if (rootContext == null && evaluator != null) {
-            rootContext = Evaluator.NULL_DATA_MODEL.equals(evaluator.getSupportedDatamodel())
-                    ? new SimpleContext() : evaluator.newContext(null);
+        if (rootContext == null) {
+            rootContext = new SimpleContext();
         }
         return rootContext;
     }
@@ -380,7 +379,7 @@
         getRootContext();
         if (systemContext != null) {
             // re-parent the system context
-            systemContext.setSystemContext(evaluator.newContext(rootContext));
+            systemContext.setSystemContext(new SimpleContext(rootContext));
         }
     }
 
@@ -394,8 +393,7 @@
             // force initialization of rootContext
             getRootContext();
             if (rootContext != null) {
-                Context internalContext = Evaluator.NULL_DATA_MODEL.equals(evaluator.getSupportedDatamodel()) ?
-                        new SimpleContext() : evaluator.newContext(rootContext);
+                Context internalContext = new SimpleContext(rootContext);
                 systemContext = new SCXMLSystemContext(internalContext);
                 systemContext.getContext().set(SCXMLSystemContext.SESSIONID_KEY, UUID.randomUUID().toString());
                 String _name = stateMachine != null && stateMachine.getName() != null ? stateMachine.getName() : "";
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstanceTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstanceTest.java
index b9a8ab6..cb02475 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstanceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/scxml2/SCInstanceTest.java
@@ -41,11 +41,6 @@
     }
     
     @Test
-    public void testGetRootContextNull() {
-        Assert.assertNull(instance.getRootContext());
-    }
-    
-    @Test
     public void testGetRootContext() {
         Context context = new SimpleContext();
         context.set("name", "value");
@@ -55,15 +50,6 @@
     }
     
     @Test
-    public void testGetRootContextEvaluator() throws Exception {
-        Evaluator evaluator = new JexlEvaluator();
-
-        executor.setEvaluator(evaluator);
-
-        Assert.assertTrue(instance.getRootContext() instanceof JexlContext);
-    }
-    
-    @Test
     public void testGetContext() {
         State target = new State();
         target.setId("1");