diff --git a/management/backup.py b/management/backup.py
index d6ffd9f7..d161719d 100755
--- a/management/backup.py
+++ b/management/backup.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ def backup_status(env):
 	backups = { }
 	basedir = os.path.join(env['STORAGE_ROOT'], 'backup/duplicity/')
 	encdir = os.path.join(env['STORAGE_ROOT'], 'backup/encrypted/')
+	os.makedirs(basedir, exist_ok=True) # os.listdir fails if directory does not exist
 	for fn in os.listdir(basedir):
 		m = re.match(r"duplicity-(full|full-signatures|(inc|new-signatures)\.(?P<incbase>\d+T\d+Z)\.to)\.(?P<date>\d+T\d+Z)\.", fn)
 		if not m: raise ValueError(fn)
diff --git a/management/templates/system-backup.html b/management/templates/system-backup.html
index 2b1ad465..aab39857 100644
--- a/management/templates/system-backup.html
+++ b/management/templates/system-backup.html
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   </tbody>
 </table>
 
-<p><small>The size column in the table indicates the size of the encrpyted backup, but the total size on disk shown above includes storage for unencrpyted intermediate files.</small></p>
+<p style="margin-top: 2em"><small>The size column in the table indicates the size of the encrpyted backup, but the total size on disk shown above includes storage for unencrpyted intermediate files.</small></p>
 
 <script>
 function nice_size(bytes) {
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ function show_system_backup() {
 
       $('#backup-status tbody').html("");
       var total_disk_size = 0;
+
+      if (r.backups.length == 0) {
+        var tr = $('<tr><td colspan="3">No backups have been made yet.</td></tr>');
+        $('#backup-status tbody').append(tr);
+      }
+
       for (var i = 0; i < r.backups.length; i++) {
         var b = r.backups[i];
         var tr = $('<tr/>');