diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index 0b6f7eaa45..bd09241ce0 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -389,10 +389,16 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
                 </Droppable> : subListContent;
         } else {
             const Loader = sdk.getComponent("elements.Spinner");
+            if (this.props.showSpinner && !this.state.hidden) {
+                content = <Loader />;
+            } else if (this.state.hidden) {
+                content = undefined;
+            } // else show content calculated above
+
             return (
                 <div className="mx_RoomSubList">
                     {this.props.alwaysShowHeader ? this._getHeaderJsx() : undefined}
-                    {(this.props.showSpinner && !this.state.hidden) ? <Loader /> : undefined}
+                    { content }
                 </div>
             );
         }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
index 167603ecfb..896c09fe4e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
@@ -705,6 +705,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                              onShowMoreRooms={self.onShowMoreRooms} />
 
                 <RoomSubList list={self.state.lists['im.vector.fake.archived']}
+                             emptyContent={self.props.collapsed ? null :
+                                 <div className="mx_RoomList_emptySubListTip_container">
+                                     <div className="mx_RoomList_emptySubListTip">
+                                         { _t('You have no historical rooms') }
+                                     </div>
+                                 </div>
+                             }
                              label={_t('Historical')}
                              editable={false}
                              order="recent"
@@ -712,7 +719,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                              alwaysShowHeader={true}
                              startAsHidden={true}
                              showSpinner={self.state.isLoadingLeftRooms}
-                             onHeaderClick= {self.onArchivedHeaderClick}
+                             onHeaderClick={self.onArchivedHeaderClick}
                              incomingCall={self.state.incomingCall}
                              searchFilter={self.props.searchFilter}
                              onShowMoreRooms={self.onShowMoreRooms} />