diff --git a/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/app-module.ts b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/app-module.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aaa37f89e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/app-module.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { Component, NgModule } from '@angular/core';
+import { IonicApp, IonicModule } from '../../../..';
+
+
+@Component({
+  templateUrl: 'main.html'
+})
+export class E2EPage {
+  items: Array<{title: string, date: string}>;
+
+  constructor() {
+    this.emptyList();
+  }
+
+  fillList() {
+    this.items = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < 59; i++) {
+      this.items.push({
+        title: 'Item ' + i,
+        date: '23:' + (59 - i)
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  emptyList() {
+    this.items = [];
+  }
+
+  itemTapped(ev: any, item: {title: string, date: string}) {
+    console.log(`itemTapped: ${item.title}`);
+  }
+
+  reload() {
+    window.location.reload(true);
+  }
+
+}
+
+
+@Component({
+  template: '<ion-nav [root]="root"></ion-nav>'
+})
+export class E2EApp {
+  root = E2EPage;
+}
+
+
+@NgModule({
+  declarations: [
+    E2EApp,
+    E2EPage
+  ],
+  imports: [
+    IonicModule.forRoot(E2EApp)
+  ],
+  bootstrap: [IonicApp],
+  entryComponents: [
+    E2EApp,
+    E2EPage
+  ]
+})
+export class AppModule {}
diff --git a/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/main.html b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/main.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a3c36e5e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/list/main.html
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<ion-header>
+  <ion-navbar>
+    <ion-title>Virtual Scroll: List</ion-title>
+    <ion-buttons end>
+      <button ion-button (click)="reload()">
+        Reload
+      </button>
+    </ion-buttons>
+  </ion-navbar>
+</ion-header>
+
+
+<ion-content>
+
+  <div padding>
+    <button ion-button (click)="fillList()">Fill List</button>
+    <button ion-button (click)="emptyList()">Empty List</button>
+  </div>
+
+ <ion-list [virtualScroll]="items">
+
+  <ion-item text-wrap *virtualItem="let item" (click)="itemTapped($event, item)">
+
+    <ion-row class="item-row">
+      <ion-col class="item-title" width-80>
+        {{item.title}}
+      </ion-col>
+      <ion-col class="item-time" width-20>
+        {{item.date}}
+      </ion-col>
+    </ion-row>
+
+  </ion-item>
+
+</ion-list>
+
+</ion-content>
diff --git a/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/virtual-scroll.spec.ts b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/virtual-scroll.spec.ts
index eadfb8010d..3ef0c6e0f4 100644
--- a/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/virtual-scroll.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtual-scroll/test/virtual-scroll.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { VirtualCell, VirtualData, VirtualNode } from '../virtual-util';
-import { processRecords, populateNodeData, initReadNodes, getVirtualHeight, adjustRendered } from '../virtual-util';
+import { processRecords, populateNodeData, initReadNodes, getVirtualHeight, adjustRendered, estimateHeight } from '../virtual-util';
 
 
 describe('VirtualScroll', () => {
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ describe('VirtualScroll', () => {
     };
   });
 
+  describe('estimateHeight', () =>  {
+
+    it('should return zero when no records', () => {
+      const h = estimateHeight(0, undefined, 100, .25);
+      expect(h).toEqual(0);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe('processRecords', () =>  {
 
     it('should load data for 100% width items', () => {
@@ -212,6 +221,20 @@ describe('VirtualScroll', () => {
 
   describe('populateNodeData', () => {
 
+    it('should set no nodes when no records', () => {
+      nodes = [];
+      records = [];
+
+      let startCellIndex = 0;
+      let endCellIndex = 0;
+
+      populateNodeData(startCellIndex, endCellIndex, data.viewWidth, true,
+                    cells, records, nodes, viewContainer,
+                    itmTmp, hdrTmp, ftrTmp, false);
+
+      expect(nodes.length).toBe(0);
+    });
+
     it('should skip already rendered, and create nodes', () => {
       cells = [
         {row: 0, tmpl: TEMPLATE_ITEM},
diff --git a/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-scroll.ts b/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-scroll.ts
index 034f228bb7..dbadc82f41 100644
--- a/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-scroll.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-scroll.ts
@@ -363,9 +363,9 @@ export class VirtualScroll implements DoCheck, AfterContentInit, OnDestroy {
    * DOM READ THEN DOM WRITE
    */
   update(checkChanges: boolean) {
-    var self = this;
+    const self = this;
 
-    if (!self._records || !self._records.length) return;
+    if (!self._records) return;
 
     if (checkChanges) {
       if (isPresent(self._differ)) {
diff --git a/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-util.ts b/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-util.ts
index aabfee27e2..a4cea507b0 100644
--- a/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-util.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtual-scroll/virtual-util.ts
@@ -131,6 +131,13 @@ export function populateNodeData(startCellIndex: number, endCellIndex: number, v
                                  cells: VirtualCell[], records: any[], nodes: VirtualNode[], viewContainer: ViewContainerRef,
                                  itmTmp: TemplateRef<Object>, hdrTmp: TemplateRef<Object>, ftrTmp: TemplateRef<Object>,
                                  initialLoad: boolean): boolean {
+
+  if (!records.length) {
+    nodes.length = 0;
+    // made changes
+    return true;
+  }
+
   let madeChanges = false;
   let node: VirtualNode;
   let availableNode: VirtualNode;
@@ -140,7 +147,6 @@ export function populateNodeData(startCellIndex: number, endCellIndex: number, v
   let viewInsertIndex: number = null;
   let totalNodes = nodes.length;
   let templateRef: TemplateRef<any>;
-
   startCellIndex = Math.max(startCellIndex, 0);
   endCellIndex = Math.min(endCellIndex, cells.length - 1);
 
@@ -527,10 +533,14 @@ export function getVirtualHeight(totalRecords: number, lastCell: VirtualCell): n
  * NO DOM
  */
 export function estimateHeight(totalRecords: number, lastCell: VirtualCell, existingHeight: number, difference: number): number {
-  let newHeight = getVirtualHeight(totalRecords, lastCell);
+  if (!totalRecords) {
+    return 0;
+  }
 
-  let percentToBottom = (lastCell.record / (totalRecords - 1));
-  let diff = Math.abs(existingHeight - newHeight);
+  const newHeight = getVirtualHeight(totalRecords, lastCell);
+
+  const percentToBottom = (lastCell.record / (totalRecords - 1));
+  const diff = Math.abs(existingHeight - newHeight);
 
   if ((diff > (newHeight * difference)) ||
       (percentToBottom > .995)) {