diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/projects/index.js b/app/assets/javascripts/projects/index.js
index 356c3522b..659c06797 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/projects/index.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/projects/index.js
@@ -435,7 +435,14 @@
         sort: projectsViewSort
       },
       success: function(data) {
-        viewContainer.html(data.html);
+        if (data.html.search('id="edit-project-cards-form-') > 0) {
+          $('#projects-absent').hide();
+          $('#projects-present').show();
+          viewContainer.html(data.html);
+        } else {
+          $('#projects-present').hide();
+          $('#projects-absent').show();
+        }
         initFormSubmitLinks(viewContainer);
         init();
       },
diff --git a/app/views/projects/index.html.erb b/app/views/projects/index.html.erb
index 675f8cc83..94118b517 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/projects/index.html.erb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
   <div class="content-pane" id="projects-index">
 
-    <% if @projects_tree.empty? %>
+    <div id="projects-absent" style="<%= 'display:none' if @projects_tree.any? %>">
       <div class="jumbotron text-center" style="margin-top:12%">
         <strong><%=t 'projects.index.no_projects.text' %></strong>
         <% if @teams.exists? && can_create_projects?(current_team) %>
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
           <p><strong><%=t 'projects.index.no_projects.no_permission_title' %></strong></p>
         <% end %>
       </div>
-    <% else %>
+    </div>
+    <div id="projects-present" style="<%= 'display:none' if @projects_tree.empty? %>">
       <!-- Edit project modal -->
       <div class="modal" id="edit-project-modal" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="edit-project-modal-label">
         <div class="modal-dialog" role="document">
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@
           <%= render partial: "projects/index/team_projects_table" %>
         </div>
       </div>
-    <% end %>
+    </div>
 
   </div>