diff --git a/client/components/boards/boardBody.jade b/client/components/boards/boardBody.jade
index 32cd274f2..89e99ae6d 100644
--- a/client/components/boards/boardBody.jade
+++ b/client/components/boards/boardBody.jade
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ template(name="boardBody")
    | {{_ 'tableVisibilityMode-allowPrivateOnly'}}
   else
     .board-wrapper(class=currentBoard.colorClass)
-      .board-canvas.js-swimlanes.dragscroll(
+      .board-canvas.js-swimlanes(
+        class="{{#if hasSwimlanes}}dragscroll{{/if}}"
         class="{{#if Sidebar.isOpen}}is-sibling-sidebar-open{{/if}}"
         class="{{#if MultiSelection.isActive}}is-multiselection-active{{/if}}"
         class="{{#if draggingActive.get}}is-dragging-active{{/if}}")
@@ -27,8 +28,13 @@ template(name="boardBody")
           each currentBoard.swimlanes
             +swimlane(this)
         else if isViewSwimlanes
-          each currentBoard.swimlanes
-            +swimlane(this)
+          if hasSwimlanes
+            each currentBoard.swimlanes
+              +swimlane(this)
+          else
+            a.js-empty-board-add-swimlane(title="{{_ 'add-swimlane'}}")
+              h1.big-message.quiet
+                | {{_ 'add-swimlane'}} +
         else if isViewLists
           +listsGroup(currentBoard)
         else if isViewCalendar
diff --git a/client/components/boards/boardBody.js b/client/components/boards/boardBody.js
index 346bb181f..eb5690f43 100644
--- a/client/components/boards/boardBody.js
+++ b/client/components/boards/boardBody.js
@@ -248,6 +248,10 @@ BlazeComponent.extendComponent({
     }
   },
 
+  hasSwimlanes() {
+    return Utils.getCurrentBoard().swimlanes().length > 0;
+  },
+
   isViewLists() {
     const currentUser = ReactiveCache.getCurrentUser();
     if (currentUser) {
@@ -288,6 +292,7 @@ BlazeComponent.extendComponent({
             this._isDragging = false;
           }
         },
+        'click .js-empty-board-add-swimlane': Popup.open('swimlaneAdd'),
       },
     ];
   },
diff --git a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
index 2b1547500..17988f454 100644
--- a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
+++ b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ BlazeComponent.extendComponent({
             Swimlanes.insert({
               title,
               boardId: Session.get('currentBoard'),
-              sort: sortValue.base,
+              sort: sortValue.base || 0,
               type: swimlaneType,
             });