diff --git a/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c b/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c
index 6c115f99ff..fe41f32f0b 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkfilechooserwidget.c
@@ -7372,6 +7372,7 @@ search_engine_hits_added_cb (GtkSearchEngine      *engine,
 /* Callback used from GtkSearchEngine when the query is done running */
 static void
 search_engine_finished_cb (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
+                           gboolean         got_results,
                            gpointer         data)
 {
   GtkFileChooserWidget *impl = GTK_FILE_CHOOSER_WIDGET (data);
@@ -7386,7 +7387,7 @@ search_engine_finished_cb (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
       priv->show_progress_timeout = 0;
     }
 
-  if (gtk_tree_model_iter_n_children (GTK_TREE_MODEL (priv->search_model), NULL) == 0)
+  if (!got_results)
     {
       gtk_stack_set_visible_child_name (GTK_STACK (priv->browse_files_stack), "empty");
       gtk_entry_grab_focus_without_selecting (GTK_ENTRY (priv->search_entry));
diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchengine.c b/gtk/gtksearchengine.c
index 74496c9695..b30bc4c38e 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchengine.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchengine.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct _GtkSearchEnginePrivate {
 
   GtkSearchEngine *simple;
   gboolean simple_running;
+  gboolean got_results;
   gchar *simple_error;
 
   GtkSearchEngine *model;
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ _gtk_search_engine_class_init (GtkSearchEngineClass *class)
                   G_STRUCT_OFFSET (GtkSearchEngineClass, finished),
                   NULL, NULL,
                   NULL,
-                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+                  G_TYPE_NONE, 1, G_TYPE_BOOLEAN);
 
   signals[ERROR] =
     g_signal_new (I_("error"),
@@ -256,13 +257,16 @@ update_status (GtkSearchEngine *engine)
           else if (engine->priv->model_error)
             _gtk_search_engine_error (engine, engine->priv->model_error);
           else
-            _gtk_search_engine_finished (engine);
+            _gtk_search_engine_finished (engine, engine->priv->got_results);
+
+          engine->priv->got_results = FALSE;
         }
     }
 }
 
 static void
 finished (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
+          gboolean         got_results,
           gpointer         data)
 {
   GtkSearchEngine *composite = GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (data);
@@ -274,6 +278,7 @@ finished (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
   else if (engine == composite->priv->model)
     composite->priv->model_running = FALSE;
 
+  composite->priv->got_results |= got_results;
   update_status (composite);
 }
 
@@ -433,11 +438,12 @@ _gtk_search_engine_hits_added (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
 }
 
 void
-_gtk_search_engine_finished (GtkSearchEngine *engine)
+_gtk_search_engine_finished (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
+                             gboolean         got_results)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_SEARCH_ENGINE (engine));
 
-  g_signal_emit (engine, signals[FINISHED], 0);
+  g_signal_emit (engine, signals[FINISHED], 0, got_results);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchengine.h b/gtk/gtksearchengine.h
index c3d181274d..0c11324d04 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchengine.h
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchengine.h
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ void	         _gtk_search_engine_stop            (GtkSearchEngine *engine);
 
 void	         _gtk_search_engine_hits_added      (GtkSearchEngine *engine, 
 						     GList           *hits);
-void	         _gtk_search_engine_finished        (GtkSearchEngine *engine);
+void             _gtk_search_engine_finished        (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
+                                                     gboolean         got_results);
 void	         _gtk_search_engine_error           (GtkSearchEngine *engine, 
 						     const gchar     *error_message);
 void             _gtk_search_engine_set_recursive   (GtkSearchEngine *engine,
diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchenginequartz.c b/gtk/gtksearchenginequartz.c
index 60d7b62c22..ddf20b8aa7 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchenginequartz.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchenginequartz.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (GtkSearchEngineQuartz, _gtk_search_engine_quartz, GT
 
   [self submitHits:ns_query];
 
-  _gtk_search_engine_finished (engine);
+  _gtk_search_engine_finished (engine, submitted_hits > 0);
   submitted_hits = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchenginesimple.c b/gtk/gtksearchenginesimple.c
index 2c3185d49e..07e08f2f31 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchenginesimple.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchenginesimple.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct
 
   GQueue *directories;
 
+  guint got_results : 1;
   gint n_processed_files;
   GList *hits;
 
@@ -138,7 +139,10 @@ search_thread_done_idle (gpointer user_data)
   data = user_data;
 
   if (!g_cancellable_is_cancelled (data->cancellable))
-    _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (data->engine));
+    {
+      _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (data->engine),
+                                   data->got_results);
+    }
 
   data->engine->active_search = NULL;
   search_thread_data_free (data);
@@ -183,6 +187,7 @@ send_batch (SearchThreadData *data)
 
       id = gdk_threads_add_idle (search_thread_add_hits_idle, batch);
       g_source_set_name_by_id (id, "[gtk+] search_thread_add_hits_idle");
+      data->got_results = TRUE;
     }
 
   data->hits = NULL;
diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker.c b/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker.c
index 4a8188d488..7350d5e354 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ query_callback (GObject      *object,
 
   if (!reply)
     {
-      _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (tracker));
+      _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (tracker), FALSE);
       g_object_unref (tracker);
       return;
     }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ query_callback (GObject      *object,
     }
 
   _gtk_search_engine_hits_added (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (tracker), hits);
-  _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (tracker));
+  _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (tracker), i > 0);
 
   g_list_free (hits);
   for (i = 0; i < n; i++)