diff --git a/widgets/LabelLayer.js b/widgets/LabelLayer.js
index 74ae259..c0dc092 100644
--- a/widgets/LabelLayer.js
+++ b/widgets/LabelLayer.js
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ define([
                 this.labelInfos[layerId][sublayer].selections;
             this.tabContainer.selectChild(this.tabBasic);
             if (hasSelections) {
+                this.set('hasLabels', true);
                 this.emptyStore(this.labelSelectionStore);
                 this.labelInfos[layerId][sublayer].selections.forEach(lang.hitch(this, function (labelObj) {
                     labelObj.id = '_' + count++;
@@ -272,12 +273,15 @@ define([
                 this.labelSelect.set('value', '_' + 1);
                 this.labelTextbox.set('value', this.labelSelectionStore.get('_' + 1).value);
                 this.addSelectedLabels();
-                domClass.remove(this.defaultLabelWrapper, 'dijitHidden');
             } else {
-                domClass.add(this.defaultLabelWrapper, 'dijitHidden');
+                this.set('hasLabels', false);
             }
         },
         _setFields: function (fields) {
+            if (!fields.length) {
+                return;
+            }
+            this.set('hasLabels', true);
 
             fields.forEach(lang.hitch(this, function (f) {
                 this.labelSelectionStore.put({
@@ -287,6 +291,10 @@ define([
                 });
             }));
         },
+        hasLabels: false,
+        _setHasLabelsAttr: function (labels) {
+            domClass[labels ? 'remove' : 'add'](this.fieldSpinner, 'dijitHidden');
+        },
         /**
          * Display a field loading spinner
          * set using `this.set('fieldsLoading', true)`
diff --git a/widgets/LabelLayer/templates/LabelLayer.html b/widgets/LabelLayer/templates/LabelLayer.html
index c872a0b..7e08842 100644
--- a/widgets/LabelLayer/templates/LabelLayer.html
+++ b/widgets/LabelLayer/templates/LabelLayer.html
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
   <div data-dojo-type="dijit/layout/TabContainer" data-dojo-attach-point="tabContainer" style="height:82%;">
     <div data-dojo-type="dijit/layout/ContentPane" title="Labels" data-dojo-attach-point="tabBasic">
 
+      <span data-dojo-attach-point="fieldSpinner" class="dijitHidden"><i class="fa fa-spinner fa-spin"></i> Loading fields...</span>
       <div data-dojo-attach-point="defaultLabelWrapper">
         <label for="fieldSelect">${i18n.labelSelect.label}:
-<span data-dojo-attach-point="fieldSpinner" class="dijitHidden"><i class="fa fa-spinner fa-spin"></i></span>
         </label>
         <br />
         <input data-dojo-type="dijit/form/FilteringSelect" data-dojo-props="