diff --git a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index 72afa29eeea..834fa4dcf47 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -758,6 +758,7 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		onConfigListenerForInputBoxVisibility(updateInputBoxVisibility, this, this.disposables);
 		updateInputBoxVisibility();
 
+		this.workingTreeGroup.hideWhenEmpty = true;
 		this.mergeGroup.hideWhenEmpty = true;
 		this.untrackedGroup.hideWhenEmpty = true;
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/media/scm.css b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/media/scm.css
index 77ddda176ec..bf8e902ef60 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/media/scm.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/media/scm.css
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@
 	flex: 1;
 	display: flex;
 	padding: 0 10px;
-	justify-content: flex-end;
 	overflow: hidden;
 }
 
@@ -90,6 +89,10 @@
 	padding-right: 0;
 }
 
+.scm-viewlet .scm-provider > .actions {
+	display: none;
+}
+
 .scm-viewlet .scm-provider > .body {
 	flex-grow: 1;
 }
@@ -108,6 +111,7 @@
 	flex: 1;
 	overflow: hidden;
 	text-overflow: ellipsis;
+	text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
 .scm-viewlet .monaco-list-row .resource {
@@ -150,6 +154,7 @@
 	max-width: fit-content;
 }
 
+.scm-viewlet .monaco-list .monaco-list-row:hover .scm-provider > .actions,
 .scm-viewlet .monaco-list .monaco-list-row:hover .resource-group > .actions,
 .scm-viewlet .monaco-list .monaco-list-row:hover .resource > .name > .monaco-icon-label > .actions,
 .scm-viewlet .monaco-list .monaco-list-row.selected .resource-group > .actions,
@@ -160,6 +165,7 @@
 	display: block;
 }
 
+.scm-viewlet .scm-status.show-actions .scm-provider > .actions,
 .scm-viewlet .scm-status.show-actions > .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .resource-group > .actions,
 .scm-viewlet .scm-status.show-actions > .monaco-list .monaco-list-row .resource > .name > .monaco-icon-label > .actions {
 	display: block;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
index 86e3bba7b4e..dbac2e1e3da 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/scm/browser/scmViewPane.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ class RepositoryRenderer implements ICompressibleTreeRenderer<ISCMRepository, Fu
 			templateData.statusActionBar.push(actions);
 
 			const count = repository.provider.count || 0;
-			toggleClass(templateData.countContainer, 'hidden', count === 0);
 			templateData.count.setCount(count);
 		};
 		disposables.add(repository.provider.onDidChange(update, null));
@@ -912,7 +911,8 @@ class ViewModel {
 			}
 		}
 
-		this.refresh(item);
+		// TODO@joao: this is here because we hide the input box when there are no changes
+		this.refresh();
 	}
 
 	setVisible(visible: boolean): void {
@@ -949,7 +949,7 @@ class ViewModel {
 		if (isRepositoryItem(item)) {
 			const children: ICompressedTreeElement<TreeElement>[] = [];
 
-			if (item.element.input.visible) {
+			if (item.element.input.visible && item.groupItems.some(item => item.element.elements.length > 0)) {
 				children.push({ element: item.element.input, incompressible: true, collapsible: false });
 			}