diff --git a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
index d112b4a66f0..5da29476625 100644
--- a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
+++ b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
@@ -167,8 +167,11 @@ class notification_list implements templatable, renderable {
         //
         // We only want the first component to render with the help icon.
         if (!empty($context['components'])) {
-            $context['components'][0]['onlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedin', 'message');
-            $context['components'][0]['offlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedoff', 'message');
+            $withnotifications = array_search(true, array_column($context['components'], 'hasnotifications'), true);
+            if ($withnotifications !== false) {
+                $context['components'][$withnotifications]['onlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedin', 'message');
+                $context['components'][$withnotifications]['offlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedoff', 'message');
+            }
         }
 
         return $context;
diff --git a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list_component.php b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list_component.php
index 8a77d9436cf..0be8973d4d7 100644
--- a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list_component.php
+++ b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list_component.php
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ class notification_list_component implements templatable, renderable {
             $context['notifications'][] = $notificationcontext;
         }
 
+        $context['hasnotifications'] = (count($context['notifications']) > 0);
+
         return $context;
     }
 }
diff --git a/message/templates/notification_preferences.mustache b/message/templates/notification_preferences.mustache
index 9bc7cdd715e..f0536e61c2f 100644
--- a/message/templates/notification_preferences.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/notification_preferences.mustache
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
                         "offlinehelphtml": "<p>help button HTML</p>"
                     }
                 ],
+                "hasnotifications": 1,
                 "notifications": [
                     {
                         "displayname": "Notices about minor problems",
diff --git a/message/templates/notification_preferences_component.mustache b/message/templates/notification_preferences_component.mustache
index 0700fba8858..54fdfa9f5a0 100644
--- a/message/templates/notification_preferences_component.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/notification_preferences_component.mustache
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     Context variables required for this template:
     * displayname   The component display name
     * processors    The list of processors for this component
+    * hasnotifications Whether any notifications exist
     * notifications The list of notifications
 
     Example context (json):
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
                 "offlinehelphtml": "<p>help button HTML</p>"
             }
         ],
+        "hasnotifications": 1,
         "notifications": [
             {
                 "displayname": "Notices about minor problems",
@@ -67,25 +69,27 @@
         ]
     }
 }}
-<tr>
-    <th><h4>{{displayname}}</h4></th>
-    {{#processors}}
-        <td class="align-bottom">
-            <div class="container-fluid">
-                <div class="row">
-                    <div class="col-6">
-                        {{#str}} loggedin, message {{/str}}
-                        {{#onlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/onlinehelphtml}}
-                    </div>
-                    <div class="col-6">
-                        {{#str}} loggedoff, message {{/str}}
-                        {{#offlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/offlinehelphtml}}
+{{#hasnotifications}}
+    <tr>
+        <th><h4>{{displayname}}</h4></th>
+        {{#processors}}
+            <td class="align-bottom">
+                <div class="container-fluid">
+                    <div class="row">
+                        <div class="col-6">
+                            {{#str}} loggedin, message {{/str}}
+                            {{#onlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/onlinehelphtml}}
+                        </div>
+                        <div class="col-6">
+                            {{#str}} loggedoff, message {{/str}}
+                            {{#offlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/offlinehelphtml}}
+                        </div>
                     </div>
                 </div>
-            </div>
-        </td>
-    {{/processors}}
-</tr>
-{{#notifications}}
-    {{> message/notification_preferences_component_notification }}
-{{/notifications}}
+            </td>
+        {{/processors}}
+    </tr>
+    {{#notifications}}
+        {{> message/notification_preferences_component_notification }}
+    {{/notifications}}
+{{/hasnotifications}}