diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
index 2847003f5df..c21d7a43335 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/basic/basic_controller.js
@@ -107,6 +107,17 @@ return AbstractController.extend(FieldManagerMixin, {
             doIt();
         }
     },
+    /**
+     * Used by list and kanban views to determine whether or not to display
+     * the no content helper (if there is no data in the state to display)
+     *
+     * @private
+     * @param {Object} state
+     * @returns {boolean}
+     */
+    _hasContent: function (state) {
+        return state.count !== 0;
+    },
     /**
      * Hook method, called when record(s) has been deleted.
      *
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
index c00cbc568d2..be288f1126d 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/kanban/kanban_controller.js
@@ -104,12 +104,17 @@ var KanbanController = BasicController.extend({
         this.renderer.updateRecord(this.model.get(id));
     },
     /**
-     * @todo this is dead code right now. resurrect this?
+     * The nocontent helper should be displayed in kanban:
+     *   - ungrouped: if there is no records
+     *   - grouped: if there is no groups and no column quick create
      *
-     * @returns {boolean}
+     * @override
+     * @private
      */
-    _hasContent: function () {
-        return this._super.apply(this, arguments) || this.create_column_enabled;
+    _hasContent: function (state) {
+        return this._super.apply(this, arguments) ||
+               this.create_column_enabled ||
+               (state.groupedBy.length && state.data.length);
     },
     /**
      * This method calls the server to ask for a resequence.  Note that this
@@ -144,7 +149,7 @@ var KanbanController = BasicController.extend({
      * @returns {Deferred}
      */
     _update: function (state) {
-        var hasNoContent = state.count === 0 && !this.create_column_enabled;
+        var hasNoContent = !this._hasContent(state);
         this.$el.toggleClass('o_kanban_nocontent', hasNoContent);
         this._toggleNoContentHelper(hasNoContent);
         return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
index 2e764214459..b25b02b4513 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/js/views/list/list_controller.js
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ var ListController = BasicController.extend({
      * @returns {Deferred}
      */
     _update: function (state) {
-        this._toggleNoContentHelper(state.count === 0);
+        this._toggleNoContentHelper(!this._hasContent(state));
         this._toggleSidebar();
         return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
     },
diff --git a/addons/web/static/test/views/kanban_tests.js b/addons/web/static/test/views/kanban_tests.js
index b4d91ebdb65..7043c1690d4 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/test/views/kanban_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/test/views/kanban_tests.js
@@ -796,6 +796,49 @@ QUnit.module('Views', {
         kanban.destroy();
     });
 
+    QUnit.test('no nocontent helper for grouped kanban with empty groups', function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(2);
+
+        var kanban = createView({
+            View: KanbanView,
+            model: 'partner',
+            data: this.data,
+            arch: '<kanban>' +
+                        '<field name="product_id"/>' +
+                        '<templates><t t-name="kanban-box">' +
+                            '<div><field name="foo"/></div>' +
+                        '</t></templates>' +
+                    '</kanban>',
+            groupBy: ['product_id'],
+            mockRPC: function (route, args) {
+                if (args.method === 'read_group') {
+                    // override read_group to return empty groups, as this is
+                    // the case for several models (e.g. project.task grouped
+                    // by stage_id)
+                    return this._super.apply(this, arguments).then(function (result) {
+                        _.each(result, function (group) {
+                            group[args.kwargs.groupby[0] + '_count'] = 0;
+                        });
+                        return result;
+                    });
+                }
+                return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
+            },
+            viewOptions: {
+                action: {
+                    help: "No content helper",
+                },
+            },
+        });
+
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_group').length, 2,
+            "there should be two columns");
+        assert.strictEqual(kanban.$('.o_kanban_record').length, 0,
+            "there should be no records");
+
+        kanban.destroy();
+    });
+
     QUnit.test('buttons with modifiers', function (assert) {
         assert.expect(2);