diff --git a/components/datalist/datalist.css b/components/datalist/datalist.css
index 6b764f51f87..9aa70e674d4 100644
--- a/components/datalist/datalist.css
+++ b/components/datalist/datalist.css
@@ -24,4 +24,8 @@
 .ui-datalist .ui-datalist-data > li {
     list-style-type: none;
     
+}
+
+.ui-datalist .ui-datalist-emptymessage {
+    padding: .5em .75em;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/datalist/datalist.ts b/components/datalist/datalist.ts
index 798933f1a27..a57cabc2727 100644
--- a/components/datalist/datalist.ts
+++ b/components/datalist/datalist.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {BlockableUI} from '../common/api';
             <p-paginator [rows]="rows" [first]="first" [totalRecords]="totalRecords" [pageLinkSize]="pageLinks" 
             (onPageChange)="paginate($event)" styleClass="ui-paginator-bottom" [rowsPerPageOptions]="rowsPerPageOptions" *ngIf="paginator  && paginatorPosition!='bottom' || paginatorPosition =='both'"></p-paginator>
             <div class="ui-datalist-content ui-widget-content">
+                <div *ngIf="isEmpty()" class="ui-datalist-emptymessage">{{emptyMessage}}</div>
                 <ul class="ui-datalist-data">
                     <li *ngFor="let item of dataToRender;let i = index">
                         <ng-template [pTemplateWrapper]="itemTemplate" [item]="item" [index]="i"></ng-template>
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ export class DataList implements AfterViewInit,AfterContentInit,DoCheck,Blockabl
     @Input() styleClass: string;
     
     @Input() paginatorPosition: string = 'bottom';
+
+    @Input() emptyMessage: string = 'No records found';
     
     @Output() onPage: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
         
diff --git a/showcase/demo/datalist/datalistdemo.html b/showcase/demo/datalist/datalistdemo.html
index ab6a23f59d3..6e504a52161 100644
--- a/showcase/demo/datalist/datalistdemo.html
+++ b/showcase/demo/datalist/datalistdemo.html
@@ -280,6 +280,12 @@ <h3>Attributes</h3>
                             <td>bottom</td>
                             <td>Position of the paginator, options are "top","bottom" or "both".</td>
                         </tr>
+                        <tr>
+                            <td>emptyMessage</td>
+                            <td>string</td>
+                            <td>No records found.</td>
+                            <td>Text to display when there is no data.</td>
+                        </tr>
                     </tbody>
                 </table>
             </div>
@@ -342,6 +348,10 @@ <h3>Styling</h3>
                             <td>ui-datalist-data</td>
                             <td>Item container element.</td>
                         </tr>
+                        <tr>
+                            <td>ui-datalist-emptymessage</td>
+                            <td>Element containing the empty message.</td>
+                        </tr>
                     </tbody>
                 </table>
             </div>