diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList-checkForData.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList-checkForData.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f3528681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList-checkForData.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<#-- $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ -->
+
+<#if (individuals?size == 0)>
+    <#assign noData = true />
+<#else>
+    <#assign noData = false />
+</#if>
+
+<#assign noDataNotification>    
+    <#if user.loggedIn>
+        <#if user.authorizedToRebuildSearchIndex>
+            <span class="contentNote">
+                <h4>Expecting content?</h4>
+                <p>Try <a title="Rebuild the search index for this site" href="${urls.base}/SearchIndex">rebuilding the search index</a>.</p>
+            </span>
+        </#if>
+    <#else>
+        <span class="contentNote">
+            <p>Please <a href="${urls.login}" title="log in to manage this site">log in</a> to manage content.</p>
+        </span>
+    </#if>
+    
+    <h3>There is currently no ${title} content in the system</h3>
+    
+    <#if user.loggedIn && user.hasSiteAdminAccess>
+        <p>You can <a href="${urls.siteAdmin}" title="Manage content">add content and manage this site</a> from the Site Administration page.</p>
+    </#if>
+</#assign>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList.ftl
index 8484ba94b..bfa0300aa 100644
--- a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList.ftl
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/individualList.ftl
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 <#import "lib-list.ftl" as l>
 
+<#include "individualList-checkForData.ftl">
+
 ${stylesheets.add('<link rel="stylesheet" href="${urls.base}/css/browseIndex.css" />')}
 
 <section class="individualList">
@@ -16,35 +18,39 @@ ${stylesheets.add('<link rel="stylesheet" href="${urls.base}/css/browseIndex.css
         <h4>${subtitle}</h4>
     </#if>
     
-    <#if errorMessage?has_content>
-        <p>${errorMessage}</p>
+    <#if (!noData)>
+        <#if errorMessage?has_content>
+            <p>${errorMessage}</p>
+        <#else>
+            <#assign pagination>
+                <#if (pages?has_content && pages?size > 1)>
+                    pages:
+                    <ul class="pagination">
+                        <#list pages as page>
+                            <#if page.selected>
+                                <li class="selectedNavPage">${page.text}</li>
+                            <#else>
+                                <#-- RY Ideally the urls would be generated by the controller; see search-pagedResults.ftl -->
+                                <li><a href="${urls.base}/individuallist?${page.param}&vclassId=${vclassId?url}">${page.text}</a></li>
+                            </#if>
+                        </#list>
+                    </ul>
+                </#if>
+            </#assign>
+            
+            ${pagination}
+            
+            <ul>
+                <#list individuals as individual>
+                    <li>       
+                        <#include "listedIndividual.ftl">
+                    </li>
+                </#list>
+            </ul>
+            
+            ${pagination}
+        </#if>
     <#else>
-        <#assign pagination>
-            <#if (pages?has_content && pages?size > 1)>
-                pages:
-                <ul class="pagination">
-                    <#list pages as page>
-                        <#if page.selected>
-                            <li class="selectedNavPage">${page.text}</li>
-                        <#else>
-                            <#-- RY Ideally the urls would be generated by the controller; see search-pagedResults.ftl -->
-                            <li><a href="${urls.base}/individuallist?${page.param}&vclassId=${vclassId?url}">${page.text}</a></li>
-                        </#if>
-                    </#list>
-                </ul>
-            </#if>
-        </#assign>
-        
-        ${pagination}
-        
-        <ul>
-            <#list individuals as individual>
-                <li>       
-                    <#include "listedIndividual.ftl">             
-                </li>
-            </#list>
-        </ul>
-        
-        ${pagination}
+        ${noDataNotification}
     </#if>
 </section> <!-- .individualList -->
\ No newline at end of file