diff --git a/core/section/github/commits.go b/core/section/github/commits.go
index f2ef8803..cca18362 100644
--- a/core/section/github/commits.go
+++ b/core/section/github/commits.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type githubCommit struct {
 	Branch     string       `json:"branch"`
 	ShowBranch bool         `json:"ShowBranch"`
 	Date       string       `json:"date"`
-	BinDate    time.Time    `json:"-"`
+	BinDate    time.Time    `json:"-"` // only used for sorting
 	ShowDate   bool         `json:"ShowDate"`
 	Name       string       `json:"name"`
 	Avatar     string       `json:"avatar"`
@@ -279,18 +279,31 @@ func renderCommits(payload *githubRender, c *githubConfig) error {
 	for range payload.BranchCommits {
 		payload.CommitCount++
 	}
+	payload.HasCommits = payload.CommitCount > 0
 
-	for a := range payload.AuthorStats {
-		for i := range payload.Issues {
+	for i := range payload.Issues {
+		var author int
+		for a := range payload.AuthorStats {
 			if payload.AuthorStats[a].Author == payload.Issues[i].Name {
-				if payload.Issues[i].IsOpen {
-					payload.AuthorStats[a].OpenIssues++
-				} else {
-					payload.AuthorStats[a].ClosedIssues++
-				}
+				author = a
+				goto found
 			}
 		}
+		// no Author found for issue, so create one
+		payload.AuthorStats = append(payload.AuthorStats, githubAuthorStats{
+			Author: payload.Issues[i].Name,
+			Avatar: payload.Issues[i].Avatar,
+		})
+		author = len(payload.AuthorStats) - 1
+	found:
+		if payload.Issues[i].IsOpen {
+			payload.AuthorStats[author].OpenIssues++
+		} else {
+			payload.AuthorStats[author].ClosedIssues++
+		}
 	}
+	payload.HasAuthorStats = len(payload.AuthorStats) > 0
+	sort.Stable(asToSort(payload.AuthorStats))
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/section/github/issues.go b/core/section/github/issues.go
index 93e99547..a81f14be 100644
--- a/core/section/github/issues.go
+++ b/core/section/github/issues.go
@@ -136,11 +136,13 @@ func getIssues(client *gogithub.Client, config *githubConfig) ([]githubIssue, er
 					}
 
 					for _, v := range guff {
-						n := ""
-						ptr := v.User
+						n := "(unassigned)"
+						av := githubGravatar
+						ptr := v.Assignee
 						if ptr != nil {
 							if ptr.Login != nil {
 								n = *ptr.Login
+								av = *ptr.AvatarURL
 							}
 						}
 						ms := noMilestone
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ func getIssues(client *gogithub.Client, config *githubConfig) ([]githubIssue, er
 						l, ln := wrapLabels(v.Labels)
 						ret = append(ret, githubIssue{
 							Name:       n,
+							Avatar:     av,
 							Message:    *v.Title,
 							Date:       v.CreatedAt.Format(issuesTimeFormat),
 							Updated:    v.UpdatedAt.Format(issuesTimeFormat),
@@ -197,6 +200,7 @@ func refreshIssues(gr *githubRender, config *githubConfig, client *gogithub.Clie
 			sharedLabels[lab] = append(sharedLabels[lab], v.Repo)
 		}
 	}
+	gr.HasIssues = (gr.OpenIssues + gr.ClosedIssues) > 0
 
 	gr.SharedLabels = make([]githubSharedLabel, 0, len(sharedLabels)) // will usually be too big
 	for name, repos := range sharedLabels {
@@ -215,6 +219,7 @@ func refreshIssues(gr *githubRender, config *githubConfig, client *gogithub.Clie
 		}
 	}
 	sort.Stable(sharedLabelsSort(gr.SharedLabels))
+	gr.HasSharedLabels = len(gr.SharedLabels) > 0
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/section/github/milestones.go b/core/section/github/milestones.go
index 16114918..f41f6be0 100644
--- a/core/section/github/milestones.go
+++ b/core/section/github/milestones.go
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ func refreshMilestones(gr *githubRender, config *githubConfig, client *gogithub.
 			gr.ClosedMS++
 		}
 	}
+	gr.HasMilestones = (gr.OpenMS + gr.ClosedMS) > 0
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/section/github/model.go b/core/section/github/model.go
index d0bb9d99..dcf6bc24 100644
--- a/core/section/github/model.go
+++ b/core/section/github/model.go
@@ -29,18 +29,23 @@ type githubRender struct {
 	ShowList         bool                `json:"showList"`
 	ShowIssueNumbers bool                `json:"showIssueNumbers"`
 	BranchCommits    []githubCommit      `json:"branchCommits"`
+	HasCommits       bool                `json:"hasCommits"`
 	CommitCount      int                 `json:"commitCount"`
 	Issues           []githubIssue       `json:"issues"`
+	HasIssues        bool                `json:"hasIssues"`
 	SharedLabels     []githubSharedLabel `json:"sharedLabels"`
+	HasSharedLabels  bool                `json:"hasSharedLabels"`
 	OpenIssues       int                 `json:"openIssues"`
 	ClosedIssues     int                 `json:"closedIssues"`
 	Limit            int                 `json:"limit"`
 	Milestones       []githubMilestone   `json:"milestones"`
+	HasMilestones    bool                `json:"hasMilestones"`
 	OpenMS           int                 `json:"openMS"`
 	ClosedMS         int                 `json:"closedMS"`
 	OpenPRs          int                 `json:"openPRs"`
 	ClosedPRs        int                 `json:"closedPRs"`
 	AuthorStats      []githubAuthorStats `json:"authorStats"`
+	HasAuthorStats   bool                `json:"hasAuthorStats"`
 	//PullRequests   []githubPullRequest   `json:"pullRequests"`
 }