diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index 3b80a43e1..acdf21aa8 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ With the port to Bootstrap 3, app/views/terms/default.haml has a new structure.
 * Fix indentation and a link title on the default home page [#6212](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6212)
 * Bring peeping Tom on the 404 page back [#6226](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6226)
 * Fix mobile photos index page [#6243](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6243)
+* Fix conversations view with no contacts [#6266](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/6266)
 
 ## Features
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/conversations_form_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/conversations_form_view.js
index 7c124da3d..4f5ac7133 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/conversations_form_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/conversations_form_view.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ app.views.ConversationsForm = Backbone.View.extend({
 
   initialize: function(opts) {
     this.contacts = _.has(opts, "contacts") ? opts.contacts : null;
+    if(!this.contacts || this.contacts.length === 0) {
+      this.displayNoContactsMessage();
+      return;
+    }
     this.prefill = [];
     if (_.has(opts, "prefillName") && _.has(opts, "prefillValue")) {
       this.prefill = [{name : opts.prefillName,
@@ -32,6 +36,12 @@ app.views.ConversationsForm = Backbone.View.extend({
     $("#contact_ids").attr("aria-labelledby", "toLabel");
   },
 
+  displayNoContactsMessage: function() {
+    $("form#new_conversation").replaceWith(
+      "<div class=\"well text-center\">" + Diaspora.I18n.t("conversation.new.no_contacts") + "</div>"
+    );
+  },
+
   keyDown : function(evt) {
     if( evt.keyCode === 13 && evt.ctrlKey ) {
       $(evt.target).parents("form").submit();
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/conversations.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/conversations.scss
index b606e6afc..6c46ce67b 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/conversations.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/conversations.scss
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@
 #conversation_new {
   label { font-weight: bold; }
 
+  .well {
+    font-weight: bold;
+    margin-top: 25px;
+  }
+
   #new_conversation #conversation_text{
     width: 100%;
     max-width: 100%;
diff --git a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
index aa07f7303..eb2c0efb5 100644
--- a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ en:
 
     conversation:
       participants: "Participants"
+      new:
+        no_contacts: "You need to add some contacts before you can start a conversation."
 
     notifications:
       mark_read: "Mark read"
diff --git a/features/desktop/conversations.feature b/features/desktop/conversations.feature
index b9fc82d28..d1186ae6b 100644
--- a/features/desktop/conversations.feature
+++ b/features/desktop/conversations.feature
@@ -8,10 +8,16 @@ Feature: private conversations
     Given a user named "Robert Grimm" with email "bob@bob.bob"
     And a user named "Alice Awesome" with email "alice@alice.alice"
     And a user with username "robert_grimm" is connected with "alice_awesome"
-    When I sign in as "bob@bob.bob"
+
+  Scenario: open the conversations page without any contacts
+    Given a user with email "eve@eve.eve"
+    When I sign in as "eve@eve.eve"
+    And I am on the conversations page
+    Then I should see "You need to add some contacts before you can start a conversation"
 
   Scenario: send a message
-    Given I send a message with subject "Greetings" and text "hello, alice!" to "Alice Awesome"
+    When I sign in as "bob@bob.bob"
+    And I send a message with subject "Greetings" and text "hello, alice!" to "Alice Awesome"
     Then I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_inbox"
     And I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_show"
     And I should see "less than a minute ago" within "#conversation_inbox"
@@ -26,7 +32,8 @@ Feature: private conversations
     Then I should see "hey, how you doing?" within ".stream_container"
 
   Scenario: send a message using keyboard shortcuts
-    Given I send a message with subject "Greetings" and text "hello, alice!" to "Alice Awesome" using keyboard shortcuts
+    When I sign in as "bob@bob.bob"
+    And I send a message with subject "Greetings" and text "hello, alice!" to "Alice Awesome" using keyboard shortcuts
     Then I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_inbox"
     And I should see "Greetings" within "#conversation_show"
     And "Alice Awesome" should be part of active conversation