diff --git a/tabbox/clientmodel.cpp b/tabbox/clientmodel.cpp
index eae1cfa817..b3f8954212 100644
--- a/tabbox/clientmodel.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/clientmodel.cpp
@@ -57,10 +57,7 @@ QVariant ClientModel::data(const QModelIndex& index, int role) const
         return QVariant();
 
     if (m_clientList.isEmpty()) {
-        if (role == EmptyRole)
-            return true;
-        else
-            return i18n("*** No Windows ***");
+        return QVariant();
     }
 
     int clientIndex = index.row() * columnCount() + index.column();
@@ -75,8 +72,6 @@ QVariant ClientModel::data(const QModelIndex& index, int role) const
     case DesktopNameRole: {
         return tabBox->desktopName(m_clientList[ clientIndex ]);
     }
-    case EmptyRole:
-        return false;
     case WIdRole:
         return qulonglong(m_clientList[ clientIndex ]->window());
     case MinimizedRole:
@@ -235,7 +230,7 @@ void ClientModel::createClientList(int desktop, bool partialReset)
         m_clientList.removeAll(c);
         m_clientList.prepend(c);
     }
-    if (tabBox->config().showDesktopMode() == TabBoxConfig::ShowDesktopClient) {
+    if (tabBox->config().showDesktopMode() == TabBoxConfig::ShowDesktopClient || m_clientList.isEmpty()) {
         TabBoxClient* desktopClient = tabBox->desktopClient();
         if (desktopClient)
             m_clientList.append(desktopClient);
diff --git a/tabbox/clientmodel.h b/tabbox/clientmodel.h
index 450d66515c..6d646ab4d2 100644
--- a/tabbox/clientmodel.h
+++ b/tabbox/clientmodel.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ public:
         CaptionRole = Qt::UserRole + 1, ///< The caption of TabBoxClient
         DesktopNameRole = Qt::UserRole + 2, ///< The name of the desktop the TabBoxClient is on
         IconRole = Qt::UserRole + 3, // TODO: to be removed
-        EmptyRole = Qt::UserRole + 4, ///< Indicates if the model contains TabBoxClients
         WIdRole = Qt::UserRole + 5, ///< The window ID of TabBoxClient
         MinimizedRole = Qt::UserRole + 6, ///< TabBoxClient is minimized
         CloseableRole = Qt::UserRole + 7 ///< TabBoxClient can be closed
diff --git a/tabbox/declarative.cpp b/tabbox/declarative.cpp
index 274b85de91..c8abf6036c 100644
--- a/tabbox/declarative.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/declarative.cpp
@@ -69,9 +69,6 @@ QPixmap ImageProvider::requestPixmap(const QString &id, QSize *size, const QSize
     if (!index.isValid()) {
         return QDeclarativeImageProvider::requestPixmap(id, size, requestedSize);
     }
-    if (index.model()->data(index, ClientModel::EmptyRole).toBool()) {
-        return QDeclarativeImageProvider::requestPixmap(id, size, requestedSize);
-    }
     TabBoxClient* client = static_cast< TabBoxClient* >(index.model()->data(index, ClientModel::ClientRole).value<void *>());
     if (!client) {
         return QDeclarativeImageProvider::requestPixmap(id, size, requestedSize);
diff --git a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
index ff4406c1a5..2950e51464 100644
--- a/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
+++ b/tabbox/tabboxhandler.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ void TabBoxHandlerPrivate::updateOutline()
     if (config.tabBoxMode() != TabBoxConfig::ClientTabBox)
         return;
 //     if ( c == NULL || !m_isShown || !c->isShown( true ) || !c->isOnCurrentDesktop())
-    if (!isShown || clientModel()->data(index, ClientModel::EmptyRole).toBool()) {
+    if (!isShown) {
         q->hideOutline();
         return;
     }
@@ -410,8 +410,7 @@ TabBoxClientList TabBoxHandler::clientList() const
 TabBoxClient* TabBoxHandler::client(const QModelIndex& index) const
 {
     if ((!index.isValid()) ||
-            (d->config.tabBoxMode() != TabBoxConfig::ClientTabBox) ||
-            (d->clientModel()->data(index, ClientModel::EmptyRole).toBool()))
+            (d->config.tabBoxMode() != TabBoxConfig::ClientTabBox))
         return NULL;
     TabBoxClient* c = static_cast< TabBoxClient* >(
                           d->clientModel()->data(index, ClientModel::ClientRole).value<void *>());