diff --git a/app/controllers/socket.js b/app/controllers/socket.js
index 8c573b5..de01ba3 100644
--- a/app/controllers/socket.js
+++ b/app/controllers/socket.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module.exports.init = function(io_ext) {
       socket.on('subscribe', function(topic) {
         logger.debug('subscribe to ' + topic);
         socket.join(topic);
+        socket.emit('subscribed');
       });
 
       // disconnect handler
diff --git a/plugins/mailbox.js b/plugins/mailbox.js
index a32da98..57b9cbf 100644
--- a/plugins/mailbox.js
+++ b/plugins/mailbox.js
@@ -26,8 +26,13 @@ module.exports.init = function(ext_io, config) {
           throw new Error('Couldn\'t get messages on sync request: ' + err);
         }
         logger.verbose('\tFound ' + messages.length + ' message' + (messages.length !== 1 ? 's' : ''));
-        for (var i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
-          broadcastMessage(messages[i], socket);
+
+        if (messages.length) {
+          for (var i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
+            broadcastMessage(messages[i], socket);
+          }
+        } else {
+          socket.emit('no messages');
         }
       });
     });