diff --git a/web/templates/recipient_row.hbs b/web/templates/recipient_row.hbs
index 57e112ab5a..56955f27d3 100644
--- a/web/templates/recipient_row.hbs
+++ b/web/templates/recipient_row.hbs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
             <a class="message_label_clickable narrows_by_topic tippy-narrow-tooltip"
               href="{{topic_url}}"
               data-tippy-content="{{t 'Go to #{display_recipient} > {topic_display_name}' }}">
-                {{#if use_match_properties}}
+                {{#if (and use_match_properties (not is_empty_string_topic))}}
                     <span class="stream-topic-inner">{{{match_topic}}}</span>
                 {{else}}
                     <span class="stream-topic-inner {{#if is_empty_string_topic}}empty-topic-display{{/if}}">{{topic_display_name}}</span>