diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css b/src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css
index 53e1ff351f..fc721b1aec 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/customize-nav-menus.css
@@ -655,6 +655,19 @@ button.not-a-button {
 	box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #5b9dd9, 0 0 2px 1px rgba(30, 140, 190, .8);
 }
 
+#available-menu-items .accordion-section-title .no-items,
+#available-menu-items .cannot-expand .accordion-section-title .spinner {
+	display: none;
+}
+
+#available-menu-items .cannot-expand .accordion-section-title .no-items {
+	display: block;
+	color: #777;
+	font-weight: normal;
+	float: right;
+	margin-left: 5px;
+}
+
 #available-menu-items .accordion-section-content {
 	padding: 1px 15px 15px 15px;
 	margin: 0;
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/js/customize-nav-menus.js b/src/wp-admin/js/customize-nav-menus.js
index 59fa9d4814..0f35079678 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/js/customize-nav-menus.js
+++ b/src/wp-admin/js/customize-nav-menus.js
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@
 			var self = this, params, request, itemTemplate;
 			itemTemplate = wp.template( 'available-menu-item' );
 
-			if ( 0 > self.pages[type] ) {
+			if ( 0 > self.pages[ type ] ) {
 				return;
 			}
 			$( '#available-menu-items-' + type + ' .accordion-section-title' ).addClass( 'loading' );
@@ -316,6 +316,13 @@
 				var items, typeInner;
 				items = data.items;
 				if ( 0 === items.length ) {
+					if ( 0 === self.pages[ type ] ) {
+						$( '#available-menu-items-' + type )
+							.addClass( 'cannot-expand' )
+							.removeClass( 'loading' )
+							.find( '.accordion-section-title > button' )
+							.prop( 'tabIndex', -1 );
+					}
 					self.pages[ type ] = -1;
 					return;
 				}
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
index fefacfeb59..a4fcc9f858 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ final class WP_Customize_Nav_Menus {
 				foreach ( $post_types as $type ) :
 					?>
 					<div id="available-menu-items-<?php echo esc_attr( $type->name ); ?>" class="accordion-section">
-						<h4 class="accordion-section-title"><?php echo esc_html( $type->label ); ?> <span class="spinner"></span> <button type="button" class="not-a-button"><span class="screen-reader-text"><?php _e( 'Toggle' ); ?></span></button></h4>
+						<h4 class="accordion-section-title"><?php echo esc_html( $type->label ); ?> <span class="spinner"></span> <span class="no-items"><?php _e( 'No items' ); ?></span> <button type="button" class="not-a-button"><span class="screen-reader-text"><?php _e( 'Toggle' ); ?></span></button></h4>
 						<ul class="accordion-section-content" data-type="<?php echo esc_attr( $type->name ); ?>" data-obj_type="post_type"></ul>
 					</div>
 				<?php
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ final class WP_Customize_Nav_Menus {
 				foreach ( $taxonomies as $tax ) :
 					?>
 					<div id="available-menu-items-<?php echo esc_attr( $tax->name ); ?>" class="accordion-section">
-						<h4 class="accordion-section-title"><?php echo esc_html( $tax->label ); ?> <span class="spinner"></span> <button type="button" class="not-a-button"><span class="screen-reader-text"><?php _e( 'Toggle' ); ?></span></button></h4>
+						<h4 class="accordion-section-title"><?php echo esc_html( $tax->label ); ?> <span class="spinner"></span> <span class="no-items"><?php _e( 'No items' ); ?></span> <button type="button" class="not-a-button"><span class="screen-reader-text"><?php _e( 'Toggle' ); ?></span></button></h4>
 						<ul class="accordion-section-content" data-type="<?php echo esc_attr( $tax->name ); ?>" data-obj_type="taxonomy"></ul>
 					</div>
 				<?php