diff --git a/resources/assets/js/global.js b/resources/assets/js/global.js
index 57d62728b..44562abd0 100644
--- a/resources/assets/js/global.js
+++ b/resources/assets/js/global.js
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ $(function () {
 
     // Common jQuery actions
     $('[data-action="expand-entity-list-details"]').click(function() {
-        $('.entity-list.compact').find('p').slideToggle(240);
+        $('.entity-list.compact').find('p').not('.empty-text').slideToggle(240);
     });
 
 
diff --git a/resources/assets/sass/_lists.scss b/resources/assets/sass/_lists.scss
index e97cc647a..08f00677e 100644
--- a/resources/assets/sass/_lists.scss
+++ b/resources/assets/sass/_lists.scss
@@ -338,6 +338,10 @@ ul.pagination {
     padding-top: $-xs;
     margin: 0;
   }
+  > p.empty-text {
+    display: block;
+    font-size: $fs-m;
+  }
   hr {
     margin: 0;
   }
diff --git a/resources/views/home.blade.php b/resources/views/home.blade.php
index e0aa08568..88319738e 100644
--- a/resources/views/home.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/home.blade.php
@@ -34,18 +34,30 @@
                 @else
                     <h3>Recent Books</h3>
                 @endif
-                @include('partials/entity-list', ['entities' => $recents, 'style' => 'compact'])
+                @include('partials/entity-list', [
+                'entities' => $recents,
+                'style' => 'compact',
+                'emptyText' => $signedIn ? 'You have not viewed any pages' : 'No books have been created'
+                ])
             </div>
 
             <div class="col-sm-4">
                 <h3><a class="no-color" href="/pages/recently-created">Recently Created Pages</a></h3>
                 <div id="recently-created-pages">
-                    @include('partials/entity-list', ['entities' => $recentlyCreatedPages, 'style' => 'compact'])
+                    @include('partials/entity-list', [
+                    'entities' => $recentlyCreatedPages,
+                    'style' => 'compact',
+                    'emptyText' => 'No pages have been recently created'
+                    ])
                 </div>
 
                 <h3><a class="no-color" href="/pages/recently-updated">Recently Updated Pages</a></h3>
                 <div id="recently-updated-pages">
-                    @include('partials/entity-list', ['entities' => $recentlyUpdatedPages, 'style' => 'compact'])
+                    @include('partials/entity-list', [
+                    'entities' => $recentlyUpdatedPages,
+                    'style' => 'compact',
+                    'emptyText' => 'No pages have been recently updated'
+                    ])
                 </div>
             </div>
 
diff --git a/resources/views/partials/activity-list.blade.php b/resources/views/partials/activity-list.blade.php
index 7198e7cbb..de72f5051 100644
--- a/resources/views/partials/activity-list.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/partials/activity-list.blade.php
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 
-{{--Requires an entity to be passed with the name $entity--}}
-
 @if(count($activity) > 0)
     <div class="activity-list">
         @foreach($activity as $activityItem)
@@ -10,5 +8,5 @@
         @endforeach
     </div>
 @else
-    <p class="text-muted">New activity will show up here.</p>
+    <p class="text-muted">No activity to show</p>
 @endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/views/partials/entity-list.blade.php b/resources/views/partials/entity-list.blade.php
index a52e5f013..412d3be8f 100644
--- a/resources/views/partials/entity-list.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/partials/entity-list.blade.php
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 
         @endforeach
     @else
-        <p class="text-muted">
-            No items available
+        <p class="text-muted empty-text">
+            {{ $emptyText or 'No items available' }}
         </p>
     @endif
 </div>
\ No newline at end of file