diff --git a/src/autocomplete/dropdown.js b/src/autocomplete/dropdown.js
index 85c9b9a11..7feee4c8b 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete/dropdown.js
+++ b/src/autocomplete/dropdown.js
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ function Dropdown(o) {
       _.className(this.cssClasses.prefix, this.cssClasses.empty, true) + '">' +
       '</div>');
     this.$menu.append(this.$empty);
+    this.$empty.hide();
   }
 
   this.datasets = _.map(o.datasets, function(oDataset) {
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ _.mixin(Dropdown.prototype, EventEmitter, {
             query: this.datasets[0] && this.datasets[0].query
           });
           this.$empty.html(html);
+          this.$empty.show();
           this._show();
         }
       } else if (_.any(this.datasets, hasEmptyTemplate)) {
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ _.mixin(Dropdown.prototype, EventEmitter, {
     } else if (this.isOpen) {
       if (this.$empty) {
         this.$empty.empty();
+        this.$empty.hide();
       }
 
       if (query.length >= this.minLength) {
diff --git a/test/unit/dropdown_spec.js b/test/unit/dropdown_spec.js
index d5685a3de..093342515 100644
--- a/test/unit/dropdown_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/dropdown_spec.js
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ describe('Dropdown', function() {
     it('should include the empty', function() {
       expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').length).toEqual(1);
       expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').children().length).toEqual(0);
+      expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').css('display')).toEqual('none');
     });
 
     it('should not hide the dropdown if empty', function() {
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ describe('Dropdown', function() {
       expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').length).toEqual(1);
       expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').children().length).toEqual(1);
       expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').find('h3.empty').length).toEqual(1);
+      expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').css('display')).not.toEqual('none');
     });
 
     it('should trigger empty', function() {
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ describe('Dropdown', function() {
       this.view._onRendered('rendered', 'te');
 
       expect(spy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(this.$menu.find('.aa-empty').css('display')).toEqual('none');
     });
   });