diff --git a/web/src/list_widget.ts b/web/src/list_widget.ts
index a6a460984f..e9ad86c006 100644
--- a/web/src/list_widget.ts
+++ b/web/src/list_widget.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import $ from "jquery";
 import assert from "minimalistic-assert";
 
+import render_empty_list_widget_for_list from "../templates/empty_list_widget_for_list.hbs";
+import render_empty_list_widget_for_table from "../templates/empty_list_widget_for_table.hbs";
+
 import * as blueslip from "./blueslip";
 import * as scroll_util from "./scroll_util";
 
@@ -177,6 +180,44 @@ function is_scroll_position_for_render(scroll_container: HTMLElement): boolean {
     );
 }
 
+function get_column_count_for_table($table: JQuery): number {
+    let column_count = 0;
+    const $thead = $table.find("thead");
+    if ($thead.length) {
+        column_count = $thead.find("tr").children().length;
+    }
+    return column_count;
+}
+
+export function render_empty_list_message_if_needed($container: JQuery): void {
+    const empty_list_message = $container.data("empty");
+
+    if (!empty_list_message || $container.children().length) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let empty_list_widget;
+
+    if ($container.is("table, tbody")) {
+        let $table = $container;
+        if ($container.is("tbody")) {
+            $table = $container.closest("table");
+        }
+
+        const column_count = get_column_count_for_table($table);
+        empty_list_widget = render_empty_list_widget_for_table({
+            empty_list_message,
+            column_count,
+        });
+    } else {
+        empty_list_widget = render_empty_list_widget_for_list({
+            empty_list_message,
+        });
+    }
+
+    $container.append(empty_list_widget);
+}
+
 // @params
 // $container: jQuery object to append to.
 // list: The list of items to progressively append.
@@ -249,6 +290,7 @@ export function create<Key = unknown, Item = Key>(
 
             // Stop once the offset reaches the length of the original list.
             if (meta.offset >= meta.filtered_list.length) {
+                render_empty_list_message_if_needed($container);
                 return;
             }
 
diff --git a/web/src/user_profile.js b/web/src/user_profile.js
index d24cd0317a..96d77e53af 100644
--- a/web/src/user_profile.js
+++ b/web/src/user_profile.js
@@ -201,11 +201,19 @@ function render_user_stream_list(streams, user) {
         modifier_html(item) {
             return format_user_stream_list_item_html(item, user);
         },
+        callback_after_render() {
+            $container.parent().removeClass("empty-list");
+        },
         filter: {
             $element: $("#user-profile-streams-tab .stream-search"),
             predicate(item, value) {
                 return item && item.name.toLocaleLowerCase().includes(value);
             },
+            onupdate() {
+                if ($container.find("#empty-table-message").length) {
+                    $container.parent().addClass("empty-list");
+                }
+            },
         },
         $simplebar_container: $("#user-profile-modal .modal__body"),
     });
@@ -218,6 +226,9 @@ function render_user_group_list(groups, user) {
     ListWidget.create($container, groups, {
         name: `user-${user.user_id}-group-list`,
         get_item: ListWidget.default_get_item,
+        callback_after_render() {
+            $container.parent().removeClass("empty-list");
+        },
         modifier_html(item) {
             return format_user_group_list_item_html(item);
         },
diff --git a/web/styles/app_components.css b/web/styles/app_components.css
index 62ca86b740..c4fd042cf1 100644
--- a/web/styles/app_components.css
+++ b/web/styles/app_components.css
@@ -1163,6 +1163,15 @@ div.overlay {
     }
 }
 
+#empty-list-message,
+#empty-table-message {
+    background-color: inherit;
+    color: var(--color-text-default);
+    font-size: 1.5em;
+    padding: 3em 1em;
+    text-align: center;
+}
+
 .filter_text_input {
     padding: 4px 6px;
     color: hsl(0deg 0% 33%);
diff --git a/web/styles/popovers.css b/web/styles/popovers.css
index da521f1b73..0753d867f5 100644
--- a/web/styles/popovers.css
+++ b/web/styles/popovers.css
@@ -673,6 +673,14 @@ ul {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    .empty-list {
+        border: none;
+
+        #empty-table-message {
+            padding: 3em 1em;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 @media (width < $md_min) {
diff --git a/web/styles/recent_view.css b/web/styles/recent_view.css
index 4d98e4e11c..b20092c4ae 100644
--- a/web/styles/recent_view.css
+++ b/web/styles/recent_view.css
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@
             position: absolute;
         }
 
+        #empty-table-message {
+            background-color: var(--color-background);
+            padding: 3em 1em;
+        }
+
         .fa-check-square-o,
         .fa-square-o {
             padding: 0 2px;
diff --git a/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_list.hbs b/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_list.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..191d781be2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_list.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<li id="empty-list-message">{{empty_list_message}}</li>
diff --git a/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_table.hbs b/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_table.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63767c8b18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/templates/empty_list_widget_for_table.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<tr>
+    <td id="empty-table-message" colspan="{{column_count}}">
+        {{empty_list_message}}
+    </td>
+</tr>
diff --git a/web/templates/user_profile_modal.hbs b/web/templates/user_profile_modal.hbs
index 0d7da2c9c5..a38df60e32 100644
--- a/web/templates/user_profile_modal.hbs
+++ b/web/templates/user_profile_modal.hbs
@@ -109,13 +109,13 @@
                                 <i class="fa fa-remove" aria-hidden="true"></i>
                             </button>
                         </div>
-                        <div class="subscription-stream-list">
+                        <div class="subscription-stream-list empty-list">
                             <table class="user-stream-list" data-empty="{{t 'No stream subscriptions.'}}"></table>
                         </div>
                     </div>
 
                     <div class="tabcontent" id="user-profile-groups-tab">
-                        <div class="subscription-group-list">
+                        <div class="subscription-group-list empty-list">
                             <table class="user-group-list" data-empty="{{t 'No user group subscriptions.'}}"></table>
                         </div>
                     </div>
diff --git a/web/tests/list_widget.test.js b/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
index 392ba84950..a81a69eb81 100644
--- a/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/list_widget.test.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ const ListWidget = zrequire("list_widget");
 function make_container() {
     const $container = {};
     $container.empty = () => {};
+    $container.data = () => {};
 
     // Make our append function just set a field we can
     // check in our tests.