diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index 0b6f7eaa45..b02fc7902a 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -389,10 +389,14 @@ const RoomSubList = React.createClass({
                 </Droppable> : subListContent;
         } else {
             const Loader = sdk.getComponent("elements.Spinner");
+            if (this.props.showSpinner) {
+                content = <Loader />;
+            }
+
             return (
                 <div className="mx_RoomSubList">
                     {this.props.alwaysShowHeader ? this._getHeaderJsx() : undefined}
-                    {(this.props.showSpinner && !this.state.hidden) ? <Loader /> : undefined}
+                    { this.state.hidden ? undefined : content }
                 </div>
             );
         }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
index 422bad1afc..62ae96f47f 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} />
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 9da6bab5fa..b18d167ea4 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@
     "People": "People",
     "Rooms": "Rooms",
     "Low priority": "Low priority",
+    "You have no historical rooms": "You have no historical rooms",
     "Historical": "Historical",
     "Unable to ascertain that the address this invite was sent to matches one associated with your account.": "Unable to ascertain that the address this invite was sent to matches one associated with your account.",
     "This invitation was sent to an email address which is not associated with this account:": "This invitation was sent to an email address which is not associated with this account:",