diff --git a/public/src/forum/category.js b/public/src/forum/category.js
index 620ba2eae9..4388198e5b 100644
--- a/public/src/forum/category.js
+++ b/public/src/forum/category.js
@@ -15,11 +15,6 @@
 		'event:new_topic'
 	]);
 
-	if (jQuery('.category-item').length == 0) {
-		jQuery('#topics-container, .category-sidebar').hide();
-		jQuery('#category-no-topics').show();
-	}
-
 	socket.on('event:new_topic', function(data) {
 		var html = templates.prepare(templates['category'].blocks['topics']).parse({ topics: [data] }),
 			topic = document.createElement('div'),
@@ -28,8 +23,8 @@
 			numTopics = topics.length,
 			x;
 
-		jQuery('#topics-container, .category-sidebar').show();
-		jQuery('#category-no-topics').hide();
+		jQuery('#topics-container, .category-sidebar').removeClass('hidden');
+		jQuery('#category-no-topics').remove();
 
 		topic.innerHTML = html;
 		if (numTopics > 0) {
diff --git a/public/templates/category.tpl b/public/templates/category.tpl
index e730e33e34..38fa7a059f 100644
--- a/public/templates/category.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/category.tpl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 		<div id="category_active_users"></div>
 	</ul>
 </div>
-<div class="alert alert-warning hide" id="category-no-topics">
+<div class="alert alert-warning hide {no_topics_message}" id="category-no-topics">
 	<strong>There are no topics in this category.</strong><br />
 	Why don't you try posting one?
 </div>
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@
 		</li></a>
 		<!-- END topics -->
 		</ul>
-		<hr />
-		<button id="new_post" class="btn btn-primary btn-large {show_category_features}">New Topic</button>
+		<hr class="{show_sidebar}" />
+		<button id="new_post" class="btn btn-primary btn-large {show_topic_button}">New Topic</button>
 	</div>
-	<div class="span3 {show_category_features} category-sidebar mobile-sidebar">
+	<div class="span3 {show_sidebar} category-sidebar mobile-sidebar">
 		<div class="sidebar-block img-polaroid">
 			<div class="block-header">
 				<a target="_blank" href="../{category_id}.rss"><i class="icon-rss-sign icon-2x"></i></a>&nbsp;
diff --git a/src/categories.js b/src/categories.js
index 063bfc9f99..35b980b215 100644
--- a/src/categories.js
+++ b/src/categories.js
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 
 					var categoryData = {
 							'category_name' : category_name,
-							'show_category_features' : 'show',
+							'show_sidebar' : 'show',
+							'show_topic_button': 'show',
+							'no_topics_message': 'hidden',
 							'topic_row_size': 'span9',
 							'category_id': category_id,
 							'active_users': active_users,
@@ -50,6 +52,8 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 						getModerators(function(err, moderators) {
 							categoryData.moderator_block_class = moderators.length > 0 ? '' : 'none';
 							categoryData.moderators = moderators;
+							categoryData.show_sidebar = 'hidden';
+							categoryData.no_topics_message = 'show';
 
 							callback(categoryData);
 						});
@@ -70,7 +74,9 @@ var	RDB = require('./redis.js'),
 		RDB.zrange('topics:recent', 0, -1, function(err, tids) {
 			var latestTopics = {
 				'category_name' : 'Recent',
-				'show_category_features' : 'hidden',
+				'show_sidebar' : 'hidden',
+				'show_topic_button' : 'hidden',
+				'no_topics_message' : 'hidden',
 				'topic_row_size': 'span12',
 				'category_id': false,
 				'topics' : []