diff --git a/test/emacs-hello b/test/emacs-hello
index be66ba4c..936d00e6 100755
--- a/test/emacs-hello
+++ b/test/emacs-hello
@@ -44,6 +44,21 @@ test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-hello-sections
              (test-output))"
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-hello-section-counts
 
+test_begin_subtest "Empty custom tags section"
+test_emacs "(let* ((widget (widget-create 'notmuch-hello-tags-section))
+                   (notmuch-hello-sections (list (widget-value widget))))
+             (notmuch-hello)
+             (test-output))"
+test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-tags-section
+
+test_begin_subtest "Empty custom queries section"
+test_subtest_known_broken
+test_emacs "(let* ((widget (widget-create 'notmuch-hello-query-section))
+                   (notmuch-hello-sections (list (widget-value widget))))
+             (notmuch-hello)
+             (test-output))"
+test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-queries-section
+
 test_begin_subtest "Column alignment for tag/queries with long names"
 tag=a-very-long-tag # length carefully calculated for 80 characters window width
 notmuch tag +$tag '*'
diff --git a/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-queries-section b/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-queries-section
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd0fdf08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-queries-section
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+: [hide]
+
+
diff --git a/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-tags-section b/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-tags-section
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b56fd671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/emacs.expected-output/notmuch-hello-empty-custom-tags-section
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+: [hide]
+
+	   4 attachment             7 signed
+	  52 inbox                 52 unread
+