diff --git a/src/Error/ExceptionRenderer.php b/src/Error/ExceptionRenderer.php
index df1fc0e703f..38d12f859ee 100644
--- a/src/Error/ExceptionRenderer.php
+++ b/src/Error/ExceptionRenderer.php
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ class ExceptionRenderer implements ExceptionRendererInterface
      * If set, this will be request used to create the controller that will render
      * the error.
      *
-     * @var ServerRequestInterface
+     * @var \Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface
      */
-    public $request = '';
+    protected $request = null;
 
     /**
      * Creates the controller to perform rendering on the error response.
@@ -125,11 +125,8 @@ protected function _unwrap($exception)
      */
     protected function _getController()
     {
-        $request = $this->request;
-        if (!$request) {
-            if (!$request = Router::getRequest(true)) {
-                $request = ServerRequestFactory::fromGlobals();
-            }
+        if (!$request = $this->request ?: Router::getRequest(true)) {
+            $request = ServerRequestFactory::fromGlobals();
         }
 
         $response = new Response();
diff --git a/tests/test_app/TestApp/Error/TestAppsExceptionRenderer.php b/tests/test_app/TestApp/Error/TestAppsExceptionRenderer.php
index 1bfb7b86ce0..d4fdc410351 100644
--- a/tests/test_app/TestApp/Error/TestAppsExceptionRenderer.php
+++ b/tests/test_app/TestApp/Error/TestAppsExceptionRenderer.php
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 use Cake\Http\Response;
 use Cake\Http\ServerRequest;
 use Cake\Routing\Router;
-use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
 use TestApp\Controller\TestAppsErrorController;
 
 class TestAppsExceptionRenderer extends ExceptionRenderer
@@ -18,11 +17,8 @@ class TestAppsExceptionRenderer extends ExceptionRenderer
      */
     protected function _getController()
     {
-        $request = $this->request;
-        if (!$request) {
-            if (!$request = Router::getRequest(true)) {
-                $request = new ServerRequest();
-            }
+        if (!$request = $this->request ?: Router::getRequest(true)) {
+            $request = new ServerRequest();
         }
         $response = new Response();
         try {