diff --git a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
index 1a7fa39d69..b57cecfb76 100644
--- a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
+++ b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImpl.java
@@ -102,14 +102,12 @@ private void initModel() {
                 Asset overrideAsset = assetResource.adaptTo(Asset.class);
                 assetOverride.put(categoryId, overrideAsset);
             }
-        }
 
-        if (categoryIds.size() > 0) {
-            MagentoGraphqlClient magentoGraphqlClient = MagentoGraphqlClient.create(resource);
-            categoriesRetriever = new CategoriesRetriever(magentoGraphqlClient);
-            categoriesRetriever.setIdentifiers(categoryIds);
-        } else {
-            LOGGER.debug("There are no categories configured for CategoryList Component.");
+            if (categoryIds.size() > 0) {
+                MagentoGraphqlClient magentoGraphqlClient = MagentoGraphqlClient.create(resource);
+                categoriesRetriever = new CategoriesRetriever(magentoGraphqlClient);
+                categoriesRetriever.setIdentifiers(categoryIds);
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -138,6 +136,11 @@ public List<CategoryTree> getCategories() {
         return categories;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public boolean isConfigured() {
+        return resource.getChild(ITEMS_PROP) != null;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public AbstractCategoriesRetriever getCategoriesRetriever() {
         return this.categoriesRetriever;
diff --git a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/models/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryList.java b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/models/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryList.java
index f7565cbe0e..03565d98e7 100644
--- a/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/models/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryList.java
+++ b/bundles/core/src/main/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/models/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryList.java
@@ -41,4 +41,10 @@ public interface FeaturedCategoryList {
      */
     AbstractCategoriesRetriever getCategoriesRetriever();
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the component is correctly configured, false otherwise.
+     *
+     * @return true or false
+     */
+    boolean isConfigured();
 }
diff --git a/bundles/core/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImplTest.java b/bundles/core/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImplTest.java
index fcdd4cdeda..9ad7802bc6 100644
--- a/bundles/core/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImplTest.java
+++ b/bundles/core/src/test/java/com/adobe/cq/commerce/core/components/internal/models/v1/categorylist/FeaturedCategoryListImplTest.java
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ public void setup() throws Exception {
     @Test
     public void verifyModel() {
         Assert.assertNotNull(slingModelConfigured);
+        Assert.assertTrue(slingModelConfigured.isConfigured());
         List<CategoryTree> list = slingModelConfigured.getCategories();
         Assert.assertNotNull(list);
         Assert.assertEquals(list.size(), 3);
@@ -128,6 +129,8 @@ public void verifyModel() {
 
     @Test
     public void verifyCategory() {
+        Assert.assertNotNull(slingModelConfigured);
+        Assert.assertTrue(slingModelConfigured.isConfigured());
         categories = slingModelConfigured.getCategories();
         Assert.assertNotNull(categories);
         Assert.assertEquals(categories.get(0).getName(), TEST_CATEGORY_NAME);
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ public void verifyAssetOverride() {
     public void verifyNotConfigired() {
         Assert.assertNotNull(slingModelNotConfigured);
         Assert.assertNull(slingModelNotConfigured.getCategoriesRetriever());
+        Assert.assertFalse(slingModelNotConfigured.isConfigured());
         categories = slingModelNotConfigured.getCategories();
         Assert.assertNotNull(categories);
         Assert.assertEquals(categories.size(), 0);
diff --git a/ui.apps/src/main/content/jcr_root/apps/core/cif/components/commerce/featuredcategorylist/v1/featuredcategorylist/featuredcategorylist.html b/ui.apps/src/main/content/jcr_root/apps/core/cif/components/commerce/featuredcategorylist/v1/featuredcategorylist/featuredcategorylist.html
index b3f844a917..615c73c8ae 100755
--- a/ui.apps/src/main/content/jcr_root/apps/core/cif/components/commerce/featuredcategorylist/v1/featuredcategorylist/featuredcategorylist.html
+++ b/ui.apps/src/main/content/jcr_root/apps/core/cif/components/commerce/featuredcategorylist/v1/featuredcategorylist/featuredcategorylist.html
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 */-->
 
 <sly data-sly-use.clientlib="/libs/granite/sightly/templates/clientlib.html"
-     data-sly-use.category="com.adobe.cq.commerce.core.components.models.categorylist.FeaturedCategoryList">
-    <sly data-sly-test.isConfigured="${category.categories.size}">
+     data-sly-use.category="com.adobe.cq.commerce.core.components.models.categorylist.FeaturedCategoryList"
+     data-sly-use.templates="core/wcm/components/commons/v1/templates.html">
+    <sly data-sly-test.hasCategories="${category.categories.size}">
     <div class="cmp-categorylist">
         <div class="cmp-categorylist__header">
             <h2 class="cmp-categorylist__title">
@@ -33,10 +34,7 @@ <h2 class="cmp-categorylist__title">
         </div>
     </div>
     </sly>
-    <div data-sly-test="${!isConfigured}" class="placeholder__empty">
-        <strong>${'Featured Category List' @ i18n}</strong><br>
-        <p>${'Please configure categories' @ i18n}</p>
-    </div>
+    <sly data-sly-call="${templates.placeholder @ isEmpty = !category.isConfigured, emptyTextAppend = 'Please configure categories'}" />
+    <sly data-sly-call="${templates.placeholder @ isEmpty = category.isConfigured && !hasCategories, emptyTextAppend = 'Configured, no categories were loaded'}" />
 </sly>
 </sly>
-