diff --git a/src/components/misc/ready.vue b/src/components/misc/ready.vue
index 24a52e9c2..c1a63bf00 100644
--- a/src/components/misc/ready.vue
+++ b/src/components/misc/ready.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 	<section v-else-if="error !== ''">
 		<no-auth-wrapper>
 			<card>
-				<div class="notification is-danger">
+				<p v-if="error === errorNoApiUrl"> 
+					{{ $t('ready.noApiUrlConfigured') }}
+				</p>
+				<div class="notification is-danger" v-else>
 					<p>
 						{{ $t('ready.errorOccured') }}<br/>
 						{{ error }}
@@ -34,6 +37,8 @@ import logoUrl from '@/assets/logo.svg'
 import ApiConfig from '@/components/misc/api-config'
 import NoAuthWrapper from '@/components/misc/no-auth-wrapper'
 
+const ERROR_NO_API_URL = 'noApiUrlProvided'
+
 export default {
 	name: 'ready',
 	components: {
@@ -44,6 +49,7 @@ export default {
 		return {
 			logoUrl,
 			error: '',
+			errorNoApiUrl: ERROR_NO_API_URL,
 		}
 	},
 	mounted() {
@@ -54,11 +60,16 @@ export default {
 			return this.$store.state.vikunjaReady
 		},
 		showLoading() {
-			return !this.ready || this.error !== ''
+			return !this.ready && this.error === ''
 		},
 	},
 	methods: {
 		load() {
+			if (window.API_URL === '') {
+				this.error = ERROR_NO_API_URL
+				return
+			}
+			
 			this.$store.dispatch('loadApp')
 				.catch(e => {
 					this.error = e
diff --git a/src/i18n/lang/en.json b/src/i18n/lang/en.json
index acc4e2fae..a54ac8060 100644
--- a/src/i18n/lang/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/lang/en.json
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
   "ready": {
     "loading": "Vikunja is loading…",
     "errorOccured": "An error occured:",
-    "checkApiUrl": "Please check if the api url is correct below."
+    "checkApiUrl": "Please check if the api url is correct.",
+    "noApiUrlConfigured": "No API url was configured. Please set one below:"
   },
   "user": {
     "auth": {