diff --git a/app/views/news_updates/_listing.html.erb b/app/views/news_updates/_listing.html.erb
index 547cf9015..8a3b3955f 100644
--- a/app/views/news_updates/_listing.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/news_updates/_listing.html.erb
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 <% cache("news-updates", :expires_in => 1.hour) do %>
-  <div id="news-updates" data-id="<%= NewsUpdate.recent.first.try(:id) %>" style="display: none;">
-    <ul>
-      <% NewsUpdate.recent.each do |news_update| %>
-        <li><%= news_update.created_at.strftime("%b %d") %>: <%= news_update.message.html_safe %></li>
-      <% end %>
-    </ul>
+  <% if NewsUpdate.recent.any? %>
+    <div id="news-updates" data-id="<%= NewsUpdate.recent.first.try(:id) %>" style="display: none;">
+      <ul>
+        <% NewsUpdate.recent.each do |news_update| %>
+          <li><%= news_update.created_at.strftime("%b %d") %>: <%= news_update.message.html_safe %></li>
+        <% end %>
+      </ul>
 
-    <a href="#" id="close-news-ticker-link">close</a>
-  </div>
+      <a href="#" id="close-news-ticker-link">close</a>
+    </div>
+  <% end %>
 <% end %>