diff --git a/application/controllers/ContactGroupsController.php b/application/controllers/ContactGroupsController.php
index 11570c44..9a9a98cc 100644
--- a/application/controllers/ContactGroupsController.php
+++ b/application/controllers/ContactGroupsController.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Common\Database;
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Common\Links;
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Forms\ContactGroupForm;
+use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Model\Contact;
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Model\Contactgroup;
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\View\ContactgroupRenderer;
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Web\Control\SearchBar\ObjectSuggestions;
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@
 use Icinga\Module\Notifications\Widget\MemberSuggestions;
 use Icinga\Web\Notification;
 use ipl\Html\Form;
-use ipl\Html\Text;
+use ipl\Html\HtmlElement;
+use ipl\Html\TemplateString;
 use ipl\Stdlib\Filter;
 use ipl\Web\Compat\CompatController;
 use ipl\Web\Compat\SearchControls;
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@
 use ipl\Web\Control\SortControl;
 use ipl\Web\Filter\QueryString;
 use ipl\Web\Layout\MinimalItemLayout;
+use ipl\Web\Widget\ActionLink;
 use ipl\Web\Widget\ButtonLink;
 use ipl\Web\Widget\Tabs;
 
@@ -78,18 +81,41 @@ public function indexAction(): void
         $this->addControl($sortControl);
         $this->addControl($limitControl);
         $this->addControl($searchBar);
-        $this->addContent(
-            (new ButtonLink(
-                Text::create(t('Add Contact Group')),
-                Links::contactGroupsAdd()->with(['showCompact' => true, '_disableLayout' => 1]),
-                'plus',
-                ['class' => 'add-new-component']
-            ))->openInModal()
+
+        $addButton = new ButtonLink(
+            t('Add Contact Group'),
+            Links::contactGroupsAdd()->with(['showCompact' => true, '_disableLayout' => 1]),
+            'plus',
+            ['class' => 'add-new-component']
         );
 
+        $emptyStateMessage = null;
+        if (Contact::on(Database::get())->columns('1')->first() === null) {
+            $addButton
+                ->setDisabled()
+                ->addAttributes(['title' => t('A contact is required to add a contact group')]);
+
+            $emptyStateMessage = new HtmlElement(
+                'span',
+                null,
+                TemplateString::create(
+                   t(
+                       'No contact groups found. To add a new contact group,'
+                       .' please {{#link}}add a contact{{/link}} first.'
+                   ),
+                   ['link' => new ActionLink(null, Links::contactAdd(), attributes: ['data-base-target' => '_next'])]
+                )
+            );
+        } else {
+            $addButton->openInModal();
+        }
+
+        $this->addContent($addButton);
+
         $this->addContent(
             (new ObjectList($groups, new ContactgroupRenderer()))
                 ->setItemLayoutClass(MinimalItemLayout::class)
+                ->setEmptyStateMessage($emptyStateMessage)
         );
 
         if (! $searchBar->hasBeenSubmitted() && $searchBar->hasBeenSent()) {
diff --git a/application/controllers/ContactsController.php b/application/controllers/ContactsController.php
index 8a28fad7..bb0afd1d 100644
--- a/application/controllers/ContactsController.php
+++ b/application/controllers/ContactsController.php
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public function addAction(): void
             ->on(ContactForm::ON_SUCCESS, function (ContactForm $form) {
                 $form->addContact();
                 Notification::success(t('New contact has successfully been added'));
-                $this->redirectNow(Links::contacts());
+                $this->redirectNow('__CLOSE__');
             })->handleRequest($this->getServerRequest());
 
         $this->addContent($form);