diff --git a/site/language/en-GB.com_fieldsattachsearch.ini b/site/language/en-GB.com_fieldsattachsearch.ini
index 3f647a7..3b3fd16 100644
--- a/site/language/en-GB.com_fieldsattachsearch.ini
+++ b/site/language/en-GB.com_fieldsattachsearch.ini
@@ -18,3 +18,5 @@ COM_FIELDSATTACHSEARCH_SEARCHLABEL="Title or text search"
 COM_FIELDSATTACHSEARCH_N_RESULTS="Results"
 PLG_SELECT_PTIONS="Select option"
 COM_FIELDSATTACHSEARCH_SEARCH="Search"
+
+SEARCHFIELDSATTACH_NO_SEARCHES_FOUND = "No searches found. Please go to the component and create a new search first, then select it here"
diff --git a/site/views/search/fields/searchfieldsattach.php b/site/views/search/fields/searchfieldsattach.php
index 646e0fd..40c1de9 100644
--- a/site/views/search/fields/searchfieldsattach.php
+++ b/site/views/search/fields/searchfieldsattach.php
@@ -83,10 +83,16 @@ protected function getInput()
 		 }
 		  $html .= '</select>';
 	       }
+	// no values found, so print a userfriendly message
+	else {
+		$html .='<span>';
+		$html .= JTEXT::_("SEARCHFIELDSATTACH_NO_SEARCHES_FOUND");
+		$html .='</span>';
+	}
      //$html .= "\n".'<input type="hidden" id="'.$this->id.'" name="'.$this->name.'" value="'.$this->value.'" />';
 
         return $html;
         //return JHTML::_('select.genericlist',  $articles, $this->name, trim($attr), 'id', 'title', $this->value );
   
   }
-} 
\ No newline at end of file
+}