diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/comment.compact b/r2/r2/templates/comment.compact
index 68c38f867..8eda0c90e 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/comment.compact
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/comment.compact
@@ -107,5 +107,8 @@
   %else:
     <div class="child">
   %endif
-  ${thing.childlisting}</div>
+  %if thing.childlisting:
+    ${thing.childlisting}
+  %endif
+  </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
index 39b97041b..ab160d389 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
@@ -129,7 +129,9 @@ ${parent.midcol(cls = cls)}
 %else:
   <div class="child">
 %endif
+  %if thing.childlisting:
     ${thing.childlisting}
+  %endif
   </div>
 </%def>
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/message.compact b/r2/r2/templates/message.compact
index 5dccbd651..f3559ec02 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/message.compact
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/message.compact
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@
   </div>
   <div style="clear: both;"></div>
   <div class="child">
-    ${thing.childlisting}
+    %if thing.childlisting:
+      ${thing.childlisting}
+    %endif
   </div>
 </div>
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/printable.html b/r2/r2/templates/printable.html
index 6a8180c30..b15412551 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/printable.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/printable.html
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ ${self.RenderPrintable()}
 
 <%def name="Child(display=True)">
 <div class="child" ${(not display and "style='display:none'" or "")}>
-  ${thing.childlisting}
+  %if thing.childlisting:
+    ${thing.childlisting}
+  %endif
 </div>
 </%def>