diff --git a/addons/website_forum/controllers/main.py b/addons/website_forum/controllers/main.py
index ac84166d528..4e493e5017e 100644
--- a/addons/website_forum/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/website_forum/controllers/main.py
@@ -234,6 +234,9 @@ class WebsiteForum(http.Controller):
 
     @http.route(['''/forum/<model("forum.forum"):forum>/question/<model("forum.post", "[('forum_id','=',forum[0]),('parent_id','=',False),('can_view', '=', True)]"):question>'''], type='http', auth="public", website=True)
     def question(self, forum, question, **post):
+        if not forum.active:
+            return request.render("website_forum.header", {'forum': forum})
+
         # Hide posts from abusers (negative karma), except for moderators
         if not question.can_view:
             raise werkzeug.exceptions.NotFound()
diff --git a/addons/website_forum/views/website_forum.xml b/addons/website_forum/views/website_forum.xml
index 8fd82a76b6d..3fc580ef4a5 100644
--- a/addons/website_forum/views/website_forum.xml
+++ b/addons/website_forum/views/website_forum.xml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 <!-- Page Index -->
 <template id="header" name="Forum Index">
-    <t t-call="website_forum.layout">
+    <t t-if="forum.active" t-call="website_forum.layout">
         <div t-if="is_public_user and not forum_welcome_message" class="forum_intro">
             <div t-field="forum.welcome_message"/>
         </div>
@@ -218,6 +218,14 @@
         </div>
         <div class="oe_structure"/>
     </t>
+    <t t-else="" t-call="website_forum.layout">
+        <t t-set='head'>
+            <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow" />
+        </t>
+        <div class="text-center text-muted">
+            <p class="css_editable_hidden"><h2>This forum has been archived.</h2></p>
+        </div>
+    </t>
 </template>
 
 <!-- Template use to edit the welcome_message -->
@@ -387,6 +395,7 @@
         <div class="container">
             <h1 class="mb32">Our forums</h1>
             <div class="row">
+                <div t-if="not forums" class="well">No forum post yet.</div>
                 <div t-foreach="forums" t-as="forum" class="col-sm-3 text-center mb32">
                     <a t-attf-href="/forum/#{ slug(forum) }">
                         <div class="fa fa-5x fa-comment mb16"/>