diff --git a/admin/cat_modify.php b/admin/cat_modify.php
index 5527bd44f..eb7b195bc 100644
--- a/admin/cat_modify.php
+++ b/admin/cat_modify.php
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ if ($category['has_images'] or !empty($category['representative_picture_id']))
   }
 
   // can the admin choose to set a new random representant ?
-  $tpl_representant['ALLOW_SET_RANDOM'] = ($category['has_images']) ? true : false;
+  $tpl_representant['ALLOW_SET_RANDOM'] = ($category['has_images'] ? true : false);
 
   // can the admin delete the current representant ?
   if (
diff --git a/admin/themes/default/template/cat_modify.tpl b/admin/themes/default/template/cat_modify.tpl
index 094d25672..1e8aa6540 100644
--- a/admin/themes/default/template/cat_modify.tpl
+++ b/admin/themes/default/template/cat_modify.tpl
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ jQuery(document).ready(function() {
         var data = jQuery.parseJSON(data);
         if (data.stat == 'ok') {
           jQuery(".albumThumbnailImage").hide();
-          jQuery(".albumThumbnailRandom").show();
+          if (jQuery(".albumThumbnailActions").data('random_allowed') == '') {
+            jQuery(".deleteRepresentative").hide();
+          } else {
+            jQuery(".albumThumbnailRandom").show();
+          }
         }
         else {
           alert("error on "+method);
@@ -176,13 +180,16 @@ jQuery(document).ready(function() {
         <a class="albumThumbnailImage" style="{if !isset($representant.picture)}display:none{/if}" href="{$representant.picture.url}"><img src="{$representant.picture.src}"></a>
         <img class="albumThumbnailRandom" style="{if isset($representant.picture)}display:none{/if}" src="{$ROOT_URL}{$themeconf.admin_icon_dir}/category_representant_random.png" alt="{'Random photo'|@translate}">
 
-<p class="albumThumbnailActions">
+<p class="albumThumbnailActions" data-random_allowed="{$representant.ALLOW_SET_RANDOM}">
+  {assign var="action_separator" value=""}
   {if $representant.ALLOW_SET_RANDOM }
   <a href="#refresh" data-category_id="{$CAT_ID}" class="refreshRepresentative" title="{'Find a new representant by random'|@translate}">{'Refresh'|@translate}</a>
+  {assign var="action_separator" value="|"}
   {/if}
 
   {if isset($representant.ALLOW_DELETE) }
-  | <a href="#delete" data-category_id="{$CAT_ID}" class="deleteRepresentative" title="{'Delete Representant'|@translate}">{'Delete'|translate}</a>
+  {$action_separator}
+   <a href="#delete" data-category_id="{$CAT_ID}" class="deleteRepresentative" title="{'Delete Representant'|@translate}">{'Delete'|translate}</a>
   {/if}
 </p>
 {/if}
diff --git a/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php b/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
index 37b05664b..2eab7b654 100644
--- a/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
+++ b/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ UPDATE '. USER_CACHE_CATEGORIES_TABLE .'
  * API method
  *
  * Deletes the album thumbnail. Only possible if
- * $conf['allow_random_representative']
+ * $conf['allow_random_representative'] or if the album has no direct photos.
  *
  * @param mixed[] $params
  *    @option int category_id
@@ -724,7 +724,14 @@ SELECT id
     return new PwgError(404, 'category_id not found');
   }
 
-  if (!$conf['allow_random_representative'])
+  $query = '
+SELECT COUNT(*)
+  FROM '.IMAGE_CATEGORY_TABLE.'
+  WHERE category_id = '.$params['category_id'].'
+;';
+  list($nb_images) = pwg_db_fetch_row(pwg_query($query));
+
+  if (!$conf['allow_random_representative'] and $nb_images != 0)
   {
     return new PwgError(401, 'not permitted');
   }