diff --git a/src/interaction/slaveInteract.js b/src/interaction/slaveInteract.js
index 8f0eff74e469b469200b13d53c6da4d835b2bfd3..87f1c4c5babac525044af99985a1cc94f49cf8d1 100644
--- a/src/interaction/slaveInteract.js
+++ b/src/interaction/slaveInteract.js
@@ -2123,7 +2123,14 @@ App.UI.SlaveInteract.rules = function(slave) {
 					ul.append(li);
 				}
 			);
-			p.append(ul);
+
+			// set up rules display
+			if ($("ul").has("li").length ) {
+				App.UI.DOM.appendNewElement("div", p, `Rules applied: `);
+				p.append(ul);
+			} else {
+				App.UI.DOM.appendNewElement("div", p, `There are no rules that would apply to ${him}.`, "gray");
+			}
 		} else {
 			array.push(App.UI.DOM.passageLink("Rules Assistant Options", "Rules Assistant"));
 		}