diff --git a/app/controllers/HelpController.php b/app/controllers/HelpController.php
index ee600767c5..2ff4296b30 100644
--- a/app/controllers/HelpController.php
+++ b/app/controllers/HelpController.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class HelpController extends BaseController
         $helpText  = '<p>There is no help for this route!</p>';
         $helpTitle = 'Help';
         if (!Route::has($route)) {
+            \Log::error('No such route: ' . $route);
             return Response::json(['title' => $helpTitle, 'text' => $helpText]);
         }
 
@@ -27,16 +28,20 @@ class HelpController extends BaseController
         }
 
         $uri = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JC5/firefly-iii-help/master/' . e($route) . '.md';
+        \Log::debug('URL is: ' . $uri);
         try {
             $content = file_get_contents($uri);
         } catch (ErrorException $e) {
-            $content = '<p>There is no help for this route.</p>';
-        }
-        if (strlen($content) == 0) {
-            $content = '<p>There is no help for this route.</p>';
+            $content = '<p>There is no help for this route!</p>';
+            \Log::error(trim($e->getMessage()));
         }
         \Log::debug('Found help for ' . $route);
-        \Log::debug('Help text length is ' . strlen($content));
+        \Log::debug('Help text length for route ' . $route . ' is ' . strlen($content));
+        \Log::debug('Help text IS: "' . $content . '".');
+        if (strlen(trim($content)) == 0) {
+            $content = '<p>There is no help for this route.</p>';
+        }
+
         $helpText  = \Michelf\Markdown::defaultTransform($content);
         $helpTitle = $route;
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/HelpControllerCest.php b/tests/functional/HelpControllerCest.php
index b728147027..8f4cbac78c 100644
--- a/tests/functional/HelpControllerCest.php
+++ b/tests/functional/HelpControllerCest.php
@@ -49,6 +49,18 @@ class HelpControllerCest
 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param FunctionalTester $I
+     */
+    public function showHelpEmptyHelpFile(FunctionalTester $I)
+    {
+        $I->wantTo('show help for a route with no text.');
+        $I->amOnPage('/help/transactions.doRelate');
+        $I->canSeeResponseCodeIs(200);
+        $I->see('There is no help for this route');
+
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param FunctionalTester $I
      */
@@ -60,6 +72,7 @@ class HelpControllerCest
         $I->see('There is no help for this route');
 
     }
+    //
 
     /**
      * @param FunctionalTester $I