diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/templateFolderForm.js b/app/assets/javascripts/templateFolderForm.js
index f3adfe5cf..5f9079fbf 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/templateFolderForm.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/templateFolderForm.js
@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@
 
       $('.template-list-selected-counter-count').html(numSelected);
 
+      $('.template-list-selected-counter').toggle(this.hasCheckboxes());
+
+    };
+
+    this.hasCheckboxes = function() {
+      return !!this.$form.find('input:checkbox').length;
     };
 
     this.countSelectedCheckboxes = function() {
diff --git a/app/templates/views/templates/_template_list.html b/app/templates/views/templates/_template_list.html
index e4c030e76..b1be5f719 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/templates/_template_list.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/templates/_template_list.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% from "components/checkbox.html" import unlabelled_checkbox %}
 {% from "components/message-count-label.html" import folder_contents_count, message_count_label %}
 
-{% if not template_list.templates_to_show %}
+{% if template_list.template_folder_id and not template_list.templates_to_show %}
   <p class="template-list-empty">
     {% if template_list.folder_is_empty %}
       This folder is empty
diff --git a/app/templates/views/templates/choose.html b/app/templates/views/templates/choose.html
index 0b0b0afc3..1ef5c1c80 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/templates/choose.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/templates/choose.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
       {{ page_title }}
     </h1>
     {% if current_user.has_permissions('manage_templates') %}
-       <p class="bottom-gutter">
+       <p class="bottom-gutter top-gutter">
          You need a template before you can send
          {% if 'letter' in current_service.permissions %}
            emails, text messages or letters
@@ -34,9 +34,8 @@
            emails or text messages
          {%- endif %}.
        </p>
-      <a href="{{ url_for('.add_template_by_type', service_id=current_service.id) }}" class="button">Add a new template</a>
     {% else %}
-      <p>
+      <p class="top-gutter">
         You need to ask your service manager to add templates before you can send
         {% if 'letter' in current_service.permissions %}
           emails, text messages or letters
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@
         {% endif %}
       {% endif %}
     </div>
-
+  {% endif %}
     {% if show_template_nav %}
       <div class="bottom-gutter">
         {{ pill(template_nav_items, current_value=template_type, show_count=False) }}
@@ -91,7 +90,10 @@
 
     {% else %}
       {% include 'views/templates/_template_list.html' %}
+      {% if (not current_service.all_templates) and (not current_service.all_template_folders) and current_user.has_permissions('manage_templates') %}
+        <a href="{{ url_for('.add_template_by_type', service_id=current_service.id) }}" class="button">Add a new template</a>
+      {% endif %}
     {% endif %}
-  {% endif %}
+
 
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py b/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
index 786d9dfbc..7eb5ef86f 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
@@ -35,21 +35,14 @@ from tests.conftest import service_one as create_sample_service
 from tests.conftest import single_letter_contact_block
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('extra_permissions', (
-    [],
-    ['edit_folders'],
-))
 def test_should_show_empty_page_when_no_templates(
     client_request,
     service_one,
     mock_get_organisations_and_services_for_user,
     mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
     mock_get_template_folders,
-    extra_permissions,
 ):
 
-    service_one['permissions'] += extra_permissions
-
     page = client_request.get(
         'main.choose_template',
         service_id=service_one['id'],
@@ -68,6 +61,36 @@ def test_should_show_empty_page_when_no_templates(
     assert len(page.select('main a')) == 1
 
 
+def test_should_show_add_template_form_if_service_has_folder_permission(
+    client_request,
+    service_one,
+    mock_get_organisations_and_services_for_user,
+    mock_get_service_templates_when_no_templates_exist,
+    mock_get_template_folders,
+):
+
+    service_one['permissions'] += ['edit_folders']
+
+    page = client_request.get(
+        'main.choose_template',
+        service_id=service_one['id'],
+    )
+
+    assert normalize_spaces(page.select_one('h1').text) == (
+        'Templates'
+    )
+    assert normalize_spaces(page.select_one('main p').text) == (
+        'You need a template before you can send emails or text messages.'
+    )
+    assert [
+        (item['name'], item['value']) for item in page.select('[type=radio]')
+    ] == [
+        ('add_template_by_template_type', 'email'),
+        ('add_template_by_template_type', 'sms'),
+    ]
+    assert not page.select('main a')
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'user, expected_page_title, extra_args, expected_nav_links, expected_templates',
     [