diff --git a/resources/i18n/en.json b/resources/i18n/en.json
index b6a23068d7..169ff0efe9 100644
--- a/resources/i18n/en.json
+++ b/resources/i18n/en.json
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@
     },
     "results": {
       "head": "Search Results",
-      "no-results": "There were no results for this search"
+      "no-results": "Your search returned no results. Having trouble finding what you're looking for? Try putting",
+      "no-results-link": "quotes around it"
     },
     "sidebar": {
       "close": "Back to results",
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.html b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.html
index ed6fc18d9c..4915b552c3 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.html
@@ -7,5 +7,12 @@
   [hideGear]="true">
 </ds-viewable-collection></div>
 <ds-loading *ngIf="!searchResults || searchResults?.isLoading" message="{{'loading.search-results' | translate}}"></ds-loading>
-<ds-error *ngIf="searchResults?.hasFailed" message="{{'error.search-results' | translate}}"></ds-error>
-<ds-error *ngIf="searchResults?.payload?.page.length == 0" message="{{'search.results.no-results' | translate}}"></ds-error>
+<ds-error *ngIf="searchResults?.hasFailed && (!searchResults?.error || searchResults?.error?.statusCode != 400)" message="{{'error.search-results' | translate}}"></ds-error>
+<div *ngIf="searchResults?.payload?.page.length == 0 || searchResults?.error?.statusCode == 400">
+    {{ 'search.results.no-results' | translate }}
+    <a [routerLink]="['/search']"
+      [queryParams]="{ query: surroundStringWithQuotes(searchConfig?.query) }"
+      queryParamsHandling="merge">
+      {{"search.results.no-results-link" | translate}}
+    </a>
+</div> 
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
index 4f299c5c50..54463d916d 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.spec.ts
@@ -1,40 +1,92 @@
 import { ComponentFixture, TestBed, async, tick, fakeAsync } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import { By } from '@angular/platform-browser';
-import { DebugElement, NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA } from '@angular/core';
+import { NoopAnimationsModule } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
+import { NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA } from '@angular/core';
 import { ResourceType } from '../../core/shared/resource-type';
 import { Community } from '../../core/shared/community.model';
 import { TranslateModule } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { SearchResultsComponent } from './search-results.component';
+import { QueryParamsDirectiveStub } from '../../shared/testing/query-params-directive-stub';
 
 describe('SearchResultsComponent', () => {
   let comp: SearchResultsComponent;
   let fixture: ComponentFixture<SearchResultsComponent>;
-  let heading: DebugElement;
 
   beforeEach(async(() => {
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
-      imports: [TranslateModule.forRoot()],
-      declarations: [SearchResultsComponent],
+      imports: [TranslateModule.forRoot(), NoopAnimationsModule],
+      declarations: [
+        SearchResultsComponent,
+        QueryParamsDirectiveStub],
       schemas: [NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA]
     }).compileComponents();
   }));
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SearchResultsComponent);
-    comp = fixture.componentInstance; // SearchFormComponent test instance
-    heading = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('heading'));
+    comp = fixture.componentInstance; // SearchResultsComponent test instance
   });
 
-  it('should display heading when results are not empty', fakeAsync(() => {
-    (comp as any).searchResults = 'test';
-    (comp as any).searchConfig = {pagination: ''};
+  it('should display results when results are not empty', () => {
+    (comp as any).searchResults = { hasSucceeded: true, isLoading: false, payload: { page: { length: 2 } } };
+    (comp as any).searchConfig = {};
     fixture.detectChanges();
-    tick();
-    expect(heading).toBeDefined();
-  }));
+    expect(fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('ds-viewable-collection'))).not.toBeNull();
+  });
 
-  it('should not display heading when results is empty', () => {
-    expect(heading).toBeNull();
+  it('should not display link when results are not empty', () => {
+    (comp as any).searchResults = { hasSucceeded: true, isLoading: false, payload: { page: { length: 2 } } };
+    (comp as any).searchConfig = {};
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    expect(fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a'))).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('should display error message if error is != 400', () => {
+    (comp as any).searchResults = { hasFailed: true, error: { statusCode: 500 } };
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    expect(fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('ds-error'))).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('should display link with new search where query is quoted if search return a error 400', () => {
+    (comp as any).searchResults = { hasFailed: true, error: { statusCode: 400 } };
+    (comp as any).searchConfig = { query: 'foobar' };
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const linkDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(QueryParamsDirectiveStub));
+
+    // get attached link directive instances
+    // using each DebugElement's injector
+    const routerLinkQuery = linkDes.map((de) => de.injector.get(QueryParamsDirectiveStub));
+
+    expect(routerLinkQuery.length).toBe(1, 'should have 1 router link with query params');
+    expect(routerLinkQuery[0].queryParams.query).toBe('"foobar"', 'query params should be "foobar"');
+  });
+
+  it('should display link with new search where query is quoted if search result is empty', () => {
+    (comp as any).searchResults = { payload: { page: { length: 0 } } };
+    (comp as any).searchConfig = { query: 'foobar' };
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const linkDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(QueryParamsDirectiveStub));
+
+    // get attached link directive instances
+    // using each DebugElement's injector
+    const routerLinkQuery = linkDes.map((de) => de.injector.get(QueryParamsDirectiveStub));
+
+    expect(routerLinkQuery.length).toBe(1, 'should have 1 router link with query params');
+    expect(routerLinkQuery[0].queryParams.query).toBe('"foobar"', 'query params should be "foobar"');
+  });
+
+  it('should add quotes around the given string', () => {
+    expect(comp.surroundStringWithQuotes('teststring')).toEqual('"teststring"');
+  });
+
+  it('should not add quotes around the given string if they are already there', () => {
+    expect(comp.surroundStringWithQuotes('"teststring"')).toEqual('"teststring"');
+  });
+
+  it('should not add quotes around a given empty string', () => {
+    expect(comp.surroundStringWithQuotes('')).toEqual('');
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.ts b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.ts
index 6399243f92..ae0abfcd27 100644
--- a/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+search-page/search-results/search-results.component.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { SearchOptions } from '../search-options.model';
 import { SearchResult } from '../search-result.model';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../../core/data/paginated-list';
 import { ViewMode } from '../../core/shared/view-mode.model';
+import { isNotEmpty } from '../../shared/empty.util';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-search-results',
@@ -35,4 +36,16 @@ export class SearchResultsComponent {
    */
   @Input() viewMode: ViewMode;
 
+  /**
+   * Method to change the given string by surrounding it by quotes if not already present.
+   */
+  surroundStringWithQuotes(input: string): string {
+    let result = input;
+
+    if (isNotEmpty(result) && !(result.startsWith('\"') && result.endsWith('\"'))) {
+      result = `"${result}"`;
+    }
+
+    return result;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bab628a7fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { RemoteDataBuildService } from './remote-data-build.service';
+import { Item } from '../../shared/item.model';
+import { PaginatedList } from '../../data/paginated-list';
+import { PageInfo } from '../../shared/page-info.model';
+import { RemoteData } from '../../data/remote-data';
+import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
+
+const pageInfo = new PageInfo();
+const array = [
+  Object.assign(new Item(), {
+    metadata: [
+      {
+        key: 'dc.title',
+        language: 'en_US',
+        value: 'Item nr 1'
+      }]
+  }),
+  Object.assign(new Item(), {
+    metadata: [
+      {
+        key: 'dc.title',
+        language: 'en_US',
+        value: 'Item nr 2'
+      }]
+  })
+];
+const paginatedList = new PaginatedList(pageInfo, array);
+const arrayRD = new RemoteData(false, false, true, undefined, array);
+const paginatedListRD = new RemoteData(false, false, true, undefined, paginatedList);
+
+describe('RemoteDataBuildService', () => {
+  let service: RemoteDataBuildService;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    service = new RemoteDataBuildService(undefined, undefined, undefined);
+  });
+
+  describe('when toPaginatedList is called', () => {
+    let expected: RemoteData<PaginatedList<Item>>;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      expected = paginatedListRD;
+    });
+
+    it('should return the correct remoteData of a paginatedList when the input is a (remoteData of an) array', () => {
+      const result = (service as any).toPaginatedList(Observable.of(arrayRD), pageInfo);
+      result.subscribe((resultRD) => {
+        expect(resultRD).toEqual(expected);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should return the correct remoteData of a paginatedList when the input is a (remoteData of a) paginated list', () => {
+      const result = (service as any).toPaginatedList(Observable.of(paginatedListRD), pageInfo);
+      result.subscribe((resultRD) => {
+        expect(resultRD).toEqual(expected);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.ts b/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.ts
index fe7f56220f..3a612df8a2 100644
--- a/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/cache/builders/remote-data-build.service.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {
   combineLatest as observableCombineLatest,
-  of as observableOf,
   Observable,
+  of as observableOf,
   race as observableRace
 } from 'rxjs';
 import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ import { ResponseCacheService } from '../response-cache.service';
 import { getMapsTo, getRelationMetadata, getRelationships } from './build-decorators';
 import { PageInfo } from '../../shared/page-info.model';
 import {
+  filterSuccessfulResponses,
   getRequestFromSelflink,
   getResourceLinksFromResponse,
-  getResponseFromSelflink,
-  filterSuccessfulResponses
+  getResponseFromSelflink
 } from '../../shared/operators';
 
 @Injectable()
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export class RemoteDataBuildService {
         }
 
         if (hasValue(normalized[relationship].page)) {
-          links[relationship] = this.aggregatePaginatedList(result, normalized[relationship].pageInfo);
+          links[relationship] = this.toPaginatedList(result, normalized[relationship].pageInfo);
         } else {
           links[relationship] = result;
         }
@@ -261,8 +261,14 @@ export class RemoteDataBuildService {
       }))
   }
 
-  aggregatePaginatedList<T>(input: Observable<RemoteData<T[]>>, pageInfo: PageInfo): Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<T>>> {
-    return input.pipe(map((rd) => Object.assign(rd, { payload: new PaginatedList(pageInfo, rd.payload) })));
+  private toPaginatedList<T>(input: Observable<RemoteData<T[] | PaginatedList<T>>>, pageInfo: PageInfo): Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<T>>> {
+    return input.map((rd: RemoteData<T[] | PaginatedList<T>>) => {
+      if (Array.isArray(rd.payload)) {
+        return Object.assign(rd, { payload: new PaginatedList(pageInfo, rd.payload) })
+      } else {
+        return Object.assign(rd, { payload: new PaginatedList(pageInfo, rd.payload.page) });
+      }
+    });
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/base-response-parsing.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/base-response-parsing.service.ts
index fdf5b4eb97..63468295d4 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/base-response-parsing.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/base-response-parsing.service.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { ObjectCacheService } from '../cache/object-cache.service';
 import { GlobalConfig } from '../../../config/global-config.interface';
 import { GenericConstructor } from '../shared/generic-constructor';
 import { PaginatedList } from './paginated-list';
-import { NormalizedObject } from '../cache/models/normalized-object.model';
 import { ResourceType } from '../shared/resource-type';
 import { RESTURLCombiner } from '../url-combiner/rest-url-combiner';
 
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ function isObjectLevel(halObj: any) {
 }
 
 function isPaginatedResponse(halObj: any) {
-  return isNotEmpty(halObj.page) && hasValue(halObj._embedded);
+  return hasValue(halObj.page) && hasValue(halObj._embedded);
 }
 
 /* tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file */
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ export abstract class BaseResponseParsingService {
   }
 
   processPageInfo(payload: any): PageInfo {
-    if (isNotEmpty(payload.page)) {
+    if (hasValue(payload.page)) {
       const pageObj = Object.assign({}, payload.page, { _links: payload._links });
       const pageInfoObject = new DSpaceRESTv2Serializer(PageInfo).deserialize(pageObj);
       if (pageInfoObject.currentPage >= 0) {
diff --git a/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
index 50ce4711ff..1493a543f1 100644
--- a/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.spec.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ import { MockItem } from '../../shared/mocks/mock-item';
 import { MockTranslateLoader } from '../../shared/mocks/mock-translate-loader';
 import { BrowseService } from '../browse/browse.service';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../shared/hal-endpoint.service';
+import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list';
+import { PageInfo } from '../shared/page-info.model';
+import { EmptyError } from 'rxjs/util/EmptyError';
 
 /* tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file */
 @Component({
@@ -179,6 +182,22 @@ describe('MetadataService', () => {
     expect(tagStore.get('description')[0].content).toEqual('This is a dummy item component for testing!');
   }));
 
+  describe('when the item has no bitstreams', () => {
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      spyOn(MockItem, 'getFiles').and.returnValue(Observable.of([]));
+    });
+
+    it('processRemoteData should not produce an EmptyError', fakeAsync(() => {
+      spyOn(itemDataService, 'findById').and.returnValue(mockRemoteData(MockItem));
+      spyOn(metadataService, 'processRemoteData').and.callThrough();
+      router.navigate(['/items/0ec7ff22-f211-40ab-a69e-c819b0b1f357']);
+      tick();
+      expect(metadataService.processRemoteData).not.toThrow(new EmptyError());
+    }));
+
+  });
+
   const mockRemoteData = (mockItem: Item): Observable<RemoteData<Item>> => {
     return observableOf(new RemoteData<Item>(
       false,
diff --git a/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.ts b/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.ts
index ede66f6952..3c2302b03f 100644
--- a/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/metadata/metadata.service.ts
@@ -259,11 +259,14 @@ export class MetadataService {
   private setCitationPdfUrlTag(): void {
     if (this.currentObject.value instanceof Item) {
       const item = this.currentObject.value as Item;
-      item.getFiles().pipe(filter((files) => isNotEmpty(files)),first(),).subscribe((bitstreams: Bitstream[]) => {
-        for (const bitstream of bitstreams) {
-          bitstream.format.pipe(first(),
-            map((rd: RemoteData<BitstreamFormat>) => rd.payload),
-            filter((format: BitstreamFormat) => hasValue(format)),)
+      item.getFiles()
+        .first((files) => isNotEmpty(files))
+        .catch((error) => { console.debug(error); return [] })
+        .subscribe((bitstreams: Bitstream[]) => {
+          for (const bitstream of bitstreams) {
+          bitstream.format.first()
+            .map((rd: RemoteData<BitstreamFormat>) => rd.payload)
+            .filter((format: BitstreamFormat) => hasValue(format))
             .subscribe((format: BitstreamFormat) => {
               if (format.mimetype === 'application/pdf') {
                 this.addMetaTag('citation_pdf_url', bitstream.content);
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/operators.ts b/src/app/core/shared/operators.ts
index 476119399b..9622bb91e1 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/operators.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/operators.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export const toDSpaceObjectListRD = () =>
     source.pipe(
       map((rd: RemoteData<PaginatedList<SearchResult<T>>>) => {
         const dsoPage: T[] = rd.payload.page.map((searchResult: SearchResult<T>) => searchResult.dspaceObject);
-        const payload = Object.assign(rd.payload, { page: dsoPage }) as PaginatedList<T>;
+        const payload = Object.assign(rd.payload, { page: dsoPage }) as any;
         return Object.assign(rd, {payload: payload});
       })
     );
diff --git a/src/app/shared/loading/loading.component.ts b/src/app/shared/loading/loading.component.ts
index b827bcc683..fec05b4720 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/loading/loading.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/loading/loading.component.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Component, Input, OnDestroy, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
 import { TranslateService } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 
 import { Subscription } from 'rxjs';
+import { hasValue } from '../empty.util';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-loading',
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ export class LoadingComponent implements OnDestroy, OnInit {
   }
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
-    if (this.subscription !== undefined) {
+    if (hasValue(this.subscription)) {
       this.subscription.unsubscribe();
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/app/shared/testing/query-params-directive-stub.ts b/src/app/shared/testing/query-params-directive-stub.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c19c5e6a5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/shared/testing/query-params-directive-stub.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { Directive, Input } from '@angular/core';
+
+/* tslint:disable:directive-class-suffix */
+@Directive({
+  // tslint:disable-next-line:directive-selector
+  selector: '[queryParams]',
+})
+export class QueryParamsDirectiveStub {
+  @Input('queryParams') queryParams: any;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/shared/testing/test-module.ts b/src/app/shared/testing/test-module.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03d22640d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/shared/testing/test-module.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
+import { QueryParamsDirectiveStub } from './query-params-directive-stub';
+
+/**
+ * This module isn't used. It serves to prevent the AoT compiler
+ * complaining about components/pipes/directives that were
+ * created only for use in tests.
+ * See https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/13590
+ */
+@NgModule({
+  declarations: [
+    QueryParamsDirectiveStub
+  ]
+})
+export class TestModule {}