diff --git a/web/client/plugins/TOC.jsx b/web/client/plugins/TOC.jsx
index 93d3e1b62a..37cf80687e 100644
--- a/web/client/plugins/TOC.jsx
+++ b/web/client/plugins/TOC.jsx
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ class LayerTree extends React.Component {
                 <Header
                     title={this.props.mapName}
                     showTitle={this.props.activateMapTitle}
-                    showFilter={this.props.activateFilterLayer}
+                    showFilter={this.props.activateFilterLayer && (this.props.groups.filter(g => (g.nodes || []).length) || []).length}
                     showTools={this.props.activateToolsContainer}
                     onClear={() => { this.props.onSelectNode(); }}
                     onFilter={this.props.onFilter}
diff --git a/web/client/plugins/__tests__/TOC-test.jsx b/web/client/plugins/__tests__/TOC-test.jsx
index f6d14b5dea..5c3248507e 100644
--- a/web/client/plugins/__tests__/TOC-test.jsx
+++ b/web/client/plugins/__tests__/TOC-test.jsx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ describe('TOCPlugin Plugin', () => {
         ReactDOM.render(<Plugin />, document.getElementById("container"));
         expect(document.querySelector('.toc-title').textContent).toBe('Annotations');
         expect(document.querySelector('.toc-group-title').textContent).toBe('Default');
+        expect(document.querySelectorAll('.mapstore-filter.form-group').length).toBe(1);
     });
 
     it('TOCPlugin hides annotations layer and empty group in cesium mapType', () => {
@@ -80,4 +81,30 @@ describe('TOCPlugin Plugin', () => {
         expect(document.querySelectorAll('.toc-title').length).toBe(1);
         expect(document.querySelectorAll('.toc-group-title').length).toBe(1);
     });
+    it('TOCPlugin hides filter layer if no groups and no layers are present', () => {
+        const { Plugin } = getPluginForTest(TOCPlugin, {
+            layers: {
+                groups: [{ id: 'default', title: 'Default', nodes: [] }],
+                flat: []
+            },
+            maptype: {
+                mapType: 'openlayers'
+            }
+        });
+        ReactDOM.render(<Plugin />, document.getElementById("container"));
+        expect(document.querySelectorAll('.mapstore-filter.form-group').length).toBe(0);
+    });
+    it('TOCPlugin hides filter layer if a group with no layers are present', () => {
+        const { Plugin } = getPluginForTest(TOCPlugin, {
+            layers: {
+                groups: [],
+                flat: []
+            },
+            maptype: {
+                mapType: 'openlayers'
+            }
+        });
+        ReactDOM.render(<Plugin />, document.getElementById("container"));
+        expect(document.querySelectorAll('.mapstore-filter.form-group').length).toBe(0);
+    });
 });