diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
index df389e88a75..3e401639a6a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 **/
 Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
 
+  hasPMs: Em.computed.gt("private_messages_stats.all", 0),
+  hasStartedPMs: Em.computed.gt("private_messages_stats.mine", 0),
+  hasUnreadPMs: Em.computed.gt("private_messages_stats.unread", 0),
+
   /**
     The user's stream
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
index 6f498db37d5..e4d321d1b60 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
@@ -31,21 +31,21 @@
           <li {{bind-attr class=":noGlyph privateMessagesActive:active"}}>
             {{#link-to 'userPrivateMessages.index' model}}
               {{i18n user.messages.all}}
-              <span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.all}})</span>
+              {{#if hasPMs}}<span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.all}})</span>{{/if}}
               <span class='fa fa-chevron-right'></span>
             {{/link-to}}
           </li>
           <li {{bind-attr class=":noGlyph privateMessagesMineActive:active"}}>
             {{#link-to 'userPrivateMessages.mine' model}}
               {{i18n user.messages.mine}}
-              <span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.mine}})</span>
+              {{#if hasStartedPMs}}<span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.mine}})</span>{{/if}}
               <span class='fa fa-chevron-right'></span>
             {{/link-to}}
           </li>
           <li {{bind-attr class=":noGlyph privateMessagesUnreadActive:active"}}>
             {{#link-to 'userPrivateMessages.unread' model}}
               {{i18n user.messages.unread}}
-              <span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.unread}})</span>
+              {{#if hasUnreadPMs}}<span class='count'>({{private_messages_stats.unread}})</span>{{/if}}
               <span class='fa fa-chevron-right'></span>
             {{/link-to}}
           </li>