diff --git a/packages/main/src/List.hbs b/packages/main/src/List.hbs
index 5eb8461afe3a..b23d7c5f8893 100644
--- a/packages/main/src/List.hbs
+++ b/packages/main/src/List.hbs
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
 		</header>
 	{{/if}}
 
-	<div id="{{_id}}-before" tabindex="0" class="ui5-list-focusarea"></div>
+	{{#if hasData}}
+		<div id="{{_id}}-before" tabindex="0" class="ui5-list-focusarea"></div>
+	{{/if}}
 
 	<ul id="{{_id}}-listUl"
 		class="ui5-list-ul"
@@ -46,5 +48,7 @@
 		</div>
 	{{/if}}
 
-	<div id="{{_id}}-after" tabindex="0" class="ui5-list-focusarea"></div>
+	{{#if hasData}}
+		<div id="{{_id}}-after" tabindex="0" class="ui5-list-focusarea"></div>
+	{{/if}}
 </div>
diff --git a/packages/main/src/List.js b/packages/main/src/List.js
index ce3963f818f5..cd2cb95b06fa 100644
--- a/packages/main/src/List.js
+++ b/packages/main/src/List.js
@@ -381,8 +381,12 @@ class List extends UI5Element {
 		return `${this._id}-header`;
 	}
 
+	get hasData() {
+		return this.items.length !== 0;
+	}
+
 	get showNoDataText() {
-		return this.items.length === 0 && this.noDataText;
+		return !this.hasData && this.noDataText;
 	}
 
 	get showBusy() {