diff --git a/ui/js/component/fileTile/view.jsx b/ui/js/component/fileTile/view.jsx
index a2b404a5d..81fac9fa2 100644
--- a/ui/js/component/fileTile/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/js/component/fileTile/view.jsx
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ class FileTile extends React.Component {
 
     const uri = lbryuri.normalize(this.props.uri);
     const isClaimed = !!claim;
+    const isClaimable = lbryuri.isClaimable(uri)
     const title = isClaimed && metadata && metadata.title ? metadata.title : uri;
     const obscureNsfw = this.props.obscureNsfw && metadata && metadata.nsfw;
     let onClick = () => navigate('/show', { uri })
@@ -97,7 +98,10 @@ class FileTile extends React.Component {
       description = "Loading..."
     } else if (showEmpty === FileTile.SHOW_EMPTY_PUBLISH) {
       onClick = () => navigate('/publish')
-      description = <span className="empty">This location is unclaimed - <span className="button-text">put something here</span>!</span>
+      description = <span className="empty">
+        This location is unused. { ' ' }
+        { isClaimable && <span className="button-text">Put something here!</span> }
+      </span>
     } else if (showEmpty === FileTile.SHOW_EMPTY_PENDING) {
       description = <span className="empty">This file is pending confirmation.</span>
     }
diff --git a/ui/js/lbryuri.js b/ui/js/lbryuri.js
index 2712b812a..637a2fd67 100644
--- a/ui/js/lbryuri.js
+++ b/ui/js/lbryuri.js
@@ -165,5 +165,25 @@ lbryuri.normalize= function(uri) {
   return lbryuri.build({name, path, claimSequence, bidPosition, claimId});
 }
 
+lbryuri.isValid = function(uri) {
+  let parts
+  try {
+    parts = lbryuri.parse(lbryuri.normalize(uri))
+  } catch (error) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return parts && parts.name;
+}
+
+lbryuri.isClaimable = function(uri) {
+  let parts
+  try {
+    parts = lbryuri.parse(lbryuri.normalize(uri))
+  } catch (error) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return parts && parts.name && !parts.claimId && !parts.bidPosition && !parts.claimSequence && !parts.isChannel && !parts.path;
+}
+
 window.lbryuri = lbryuri;
 export default lbryuri;
diff --git a/ui/js/page/search/view.jsx b/ui/js/page/search/view.jsx
index 30f9b2aee..8328434fc 100644
--- a/ui/js/page/search/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/js/page/search/view.jsx
@@ -8,14 +8,13 @@ import {BusyMessage} from 'component/common.js';
 
 class SearchPage extends React.Component{
   render() {
-    const isValidUri = (query) => true //FIXME
     const {
       query,
     } = this.props
 
     return (
       <main className="main--single-column">
-        { isValidUri(query) ?
+        { lbryuri.isValid(query) ?
           <section className="section-spaced">
             <h3 className="card-row__header">
               Exact URL <ToolTip label="?" body="This is the resolution of a LBRY URL and not controlled by LBRY Inc."
diff --git a/ui/js/page/showPage/view.jsx b/ui/js/page/showPage/view.jsx
index bdc4f7a81..f12d55ac1 100644
--- a/ui/js/page/showPage/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/js/page/showPage/view.jsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class ShowPage extends React.Component{
       uri,
     } = props
 
-    if(!isResolvingUri && !claim && uri) {
+    if(!isResolvingUri && claim === undefined && uri) {
       resolveUri(uri)
     }
   }
@@ -35,15 +35,16 @@ class ShowPage extends React.Component{
 
     let innerContent = "";
 
-    if (isResolvingUri) {
+    if (isResolvingUri || claim === null) {
       innerContent = <section className="card">
         <div className="card__inner">
           <div className="card__title-identity"><h1>{uri}</h1></div>
         </div>
         <div className="card__content">
-          <BusyMessage message="Loading magic decentralized data..." />
+          { isResolvingUri && <BusyMessage message="Loading magic decentralized data..." /> }
+          { claim === null && <span className="empty">There's nothing at this location.</span> }
         </div>
-      </section>;
+      </section>
     }
     else if (claim && claim.whatever) {
       innerContent = "channel"