diff --git a/capa/render/default.py b/capa/render/default.py
index 6bdef70a..db8cb61e 100644
--- a/capa/render/default.py
+++ b/capa/render/default.py
@@ -47,8 +47,11 @@ def render_capabilities(doc, ostream):
             capability = "%s (%d matches)" % (rutils.bold(rule["meta"]["name"]), count)
         rows.append((capability, rule["meta"]["namespace"]))
 
-    ostream.write(tabulate.tabulate(rows, headers=[width("CAPABILITY", 50), width("NAMESPACE", 50)], tablefmt="psql"))
-    ostream.write("\n")
+    if rows:
+        ostream.write(tabulate.tabulate(rows, headers=[width("CAPABILITY", 50), width("NAMESPACE", 50)], tablefmt="psql"))
+        ostream.write("\n")
+    else:
+        ostream.writeln(rutils.bold("no capabilities found"))
 
 
 def render_attack(doc, ostream):
@@ -95,10 +98,12 @@ def render_attack(doc, ostream):
             else:
                 raise RuntimeError("unexpected ATT&CK spec format")
         rows.append((rutils.bold(tactic.upper()), "\n".join(inner_rows),))
-    ostream.write(
-        tabulate.tabulate(rows, headers=[width("ATT&CK Tactic", 20), width("ATT&CK Technique", 80)], tablefmt="psql")
-    )
-    ostream.write("\n")
+
+    if rows:
+        ostream.write(
+            tabulate.tabulate(rows, headers=[width("ATT&CK Tactic", 20), width("ATT&CK Technique", 80)], tablefmt="psql")
+        )
+        ostream.write("\n")
 
 
 def render_default(doc):
diff --git a/capa/render/verbose.py b/capa/render/verbose.py
index 99a78f23..c8742707 100644
--- a/capa/render/verbose.py
+++ b/capa/render/verbose.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
         matches      0x10003A13
                      0x10003797
     """
+    had_match = False
     for rule in rutils.capability_rules(doc):
         count = len(rule["matches"])
         if count == 1:
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
             capability = "%s (%d matches)" % (rutils.bold(rule["meta"]["name"]), count)
 
         ostream.writeln(capability)
+        had_match = True
 
         rows = []
         for key in ("namespace", "description", "scope"):
@@ -95,6 +97,9 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
         ostream.writeln(tabulate.tabulate(rows, tablefmt="plain"))
         ostream.write("\n")
 
+    if not had_match:
+        ostream.writeln(rutils.bold("no capabilities found"))
+
 
 def render_verbose(doc):
     ostream = rutils.StringIO()
diff --git a/capa/render/vverbose.py b/capa/render/vverbose.py
index 7a703e96..adf53dd8 100644
--- a/capa/render/vverbose.py
+++ b/capa/render/vverbose.py
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
             api: kernel32.GetLastError @ 0x10004A87
             api: kernel32.OutputDebugString @ 0x10004767, 0x10004787, 0x10004816, 0x10004895
     """
+    had_match = False
     for rule in rutils.capability_rules(doc):
         count = len(rule["matches"])
         if count == 1:
@@ -166,6 +167,7 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
             capability = "%s (%d matches)" % (rutils.bold(rule["meta"]["name"]), count)
 
         ostream.writeln(capability)
+        had_match = True
 
         rows = []
         for key in capa.rules.META_KEYS:
@@ -198,6 +200,9 @@ def render_rules(ostream, doc):
                 render_match(ostream, match, indent=1)
         ostream.write("\n")
 
+    if not had_match:
+        ostream.writeln(rutils.bold("no capabilities found"))
+
 
 def render_vverbose(doc):
     ostream = rutils.StringIO()