diff --git a/src/autocomplete.js b/src/autocomplete.js
index f9cc1a1d062..95fa49f66c7 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete.js
+++ b/src/autocomplete.js
@@ -574,7 +574,8 @@ class Autocomplete {
                             ];
                             this.completions = new FilteredList(completionsForEmpty);
                             this.openPopup(this.editor, prefix, keepPopupPosition);
-                        this.popup.renderer.setStyle("ace_loading", false);
+                            this.popup.renderer.setStyle("ace_loading", false);
+                            this.popup.renderer.setStyle("ace_empty-message", true);
                             return;
                         }
                         return this.detach();
@@ -598,6 +599,7 @@ class Autocomplete {
 
                 this.openPopup(this.editor, prefix, keepPopupPosition);
 
+            this.popup.renderer.setStyle("ace_empty-message", false);
             this.popup.renderer.setStyle("ace_loading", !finished);
         }.bind(this));
 
diff --git a/src/autocomplete_test.js b/src/autocomplete_test.js
index 0c78971d3ce..b48ec080b21 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete_test.js
+++ b/src/autocomplete_test.js
@@ -462,12 +462,52 @@ module.exports = {
         user.type("Ctrl-Space");
         assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.isOpen, true);
         assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.data[0].caption, emptyMessageText);
+        assert.ok(editor.completer.popup.renderer.container.classList.contains("ace_empty-message"));
 
         user.type("Return");
         assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.isOpen, false);
 
         done();
     },
+    "test: no empty message class if suggestions available": function(done) {
+        var editor = initEditor("");
+        var emptyMessageText = "No suggestions.";
+        var autocomplete = Autocomplete.for(editor);
+        autocomplete.emptyMessage = () => emptyMessageText;
+
+        editor.completers = [
+            {
+                getCompletions: function (editor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+                    var completions = [
+                        {
+                            caption: "append",
+                            value: "append"
+                        }
+                    ];
+                    callback(null, completions);
+                }
+            }
+        ];
+
+        user.type("b");
+
+        // Open autocompletion via key-binding and verify empty message class
+        user.type("Ctrl-Space");
+        assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.isOpen, true);
+        assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.data[0].caption, emptyMessageText);
+        assert.ok(editor.completer.popup.renderer.container.classList.contains("ace_empty-message"));
+
+        user.type("Backspace");
+        assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.isOpen, false);
+
+        // Open autocompletion via key-binding and verify no empty message class
+        user.type("Ctrl-Space");
+        assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.isOpen, true);
+        assert.equal(editor.completer.popup.data[0].caption, "append");
+        assert.ok(!editor.completer.popup.renderer.container.classList.contains("ace_empty-message"));
+
+        done();
+    },
     "test: liveAutocompleteDelay": function(done) {
         var editor = initEditor("hello world ");
         editor.setOptions({