diff --git a/_includes/home.md b/_includes/home.md
index 9e93b4b27b5..c35efcd85a7 100644
--- a/_includes/home.md
+++ b/_includes/home.md
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
       <div  class="content--title">
       <!-- TODO: when in <p/> style of this text is wrong (font too large) -->
       <!-- TODO: why do we have to markdownify? -->
-      {{ include.links | markdownify }} 
+{% if include.links %}
+{{ include.links | markdownify }}
+{% endif %}
       </div>
       <div class="row-fluid">
         <div class="span8">
diff --git a/index-common.md b/index-common.md
index 087e0b9ea9d..9c4811b4f92 100644
--- a/index-common.md
+++ b/index-common.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ title: Docs
 ---
 
 {% capture links %}
-[Project]({{ page.main_site_url }}/projects/spring-framework) : [Another]({{ page.main_site_url }}/projects/spring-framework)
+[Project]({{ page.main_site_url }}/projects/spring-framework) | [Another]({{ page.main_site_url }}/projects/spring-framework)
 {% endcapture %}
 
 {% capture description %}