diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentPresenter.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentPresenter.kt
index d13a5dca065..9aabc25f075 100755
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentPresenter.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentPresenter.kt
@@ -202,7 +202,10 @@ class StateFragmentPresenter @Inject constructor(
 
   fun onSubmitButtonClicked() {
     hideKeyboard()
-    handleSubmitAnswer(viewModel.getPendingAnswer(recyclerViewAssembler::getPendingAnswerHandler))
+    val answer = viewModel.getPendingAnswer(recyclerViewAssembler::getPendingAnswerHandler)
+    if (answer != null) {
+      handleSubmitAnswer(answer)
+    }
   }
 
   fun onResponsesHeaderClicked() {
@@ -215,7 +218,10 @@ class StateFragmentPresenter @Inject constructor(
   fun handleKeyboardAction() {
     hideKeyboard()
     if (viewModel.getCanSubmitAnswer().get() == true) {
-      handleSubmitAnswer(viewModel.getPendingAnswer(recyclerViewAssembler::getPendingAnswerHandler))
+      val answer = viewModel.getPendingAnswer(recyclerViewAssembler::getPendingAnswerHandler)
+      if (answer != null) {
+        handleSubmitAnswer(answer)
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateViewModel.kt
index 54109859994..82071abed1f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateViewModel.kt
@@ -101,12 +101,12 @@ class StateViewModel @Inject constructor(
 
   fun getPendingAnswer(
     retrieveAnswerHandler: (List<StateItemViewModel>) -> InteractionAnswerHandler?
-  ): UserAnswer {
+  ): UserAnswer? {
     return getPendingAnswerWithoutError(
       retrieveAnswerHandler(
         getAnswerItemList()
       )
-    ) ?: UserAnswer.getDefaultInstance()
+    )
   }
 
   fun canQuicklyToggleBetweenSwahiliAndEnglish(
diff --git a/app/src/sharedTest/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentTest.kt b/app/src/sharedTest/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentTest.kt
index d1d1fb3814c..a2750d5203a 100644
--- a/app/src/sharedTest/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/sharedTest/java/org/oppia/android/app/player/state/StateFragmentTest.kt
@@ -442,6 +442,25 @@ class StateFragmentTest {
     }
   }
 
+  // Regression test for #4708.
+  @Test
+  @RunOn(TestPlatform.ESPRESSO) // Robolectric tests don't rotate like this to recreate activity
+  fun testStateFragment_loadExp_secondState_invalidAnswer_changeConfiguration_submitButtonExists() {
+    setUpTestWithLanguageSwitchingFeatureOff()
+    launchForExploration(TEST_EXPLORATION_ID_2, shouldSavePartialProgress = false).use {
+      startPlayingExploration()
+      clickContinueInteractionButton()
+
+      typeFractionText("1/")
+
+      clickSubmitAnswerButton()
+
+      rotateToLandscape()
+
+      onView(withId(R.id.submit_answer_button)).check(matches(isDisplayed()))
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   fun testStateFragment_loadExp_secondState_invalidAnswer_updated_submitAnswerIsEnabled() {
     setUpTestWithLanguageSwitchingFeatureOff()