diff --git a/app/addons/documents/index-editor/tests/actionsSpec.js b/app/addons/documents/index-editor/__tests__/actions.test.js
similarity index 70%
rename from app/addons/documents/index-editor/tests/actionsSpec.js
rename to app/addons/documents/index-editor/__tests__/actions.test.js
index 4b09038d8..080fe7b80 100644
--- a/app/addons/documents/index-editor/tests/actionsSpec.js
+++ b/app/addons/documents/index-editor/__tests__/actions.test.js
@@ -58,15 +58,11 @@ describe('Index Editor Actions', function () {
 
     it('saves design doc if has other views', function () {
       designDoc.save = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
       var saveSpy = sinon.spy(designDoc, 'save');
       designDocs.fetch = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
 
       Actions.deleteView({
@@ -83,16 +79,12 @@ describe('Index Editor Actions', function () {
       designDoc.removeDdocView('test-view2');
 
       designDoc.destroy = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
       var destroySpy = sinon.spy(designDoc, 'destroy');
       designDocs.remove = function () {};
       designDocs.fetch = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
 
       Actions.deleteView({
@@ -109,26 +101,49 @@ describe('Index Editor Actions', function () {
       var spy = sinon.spy(FauxtonAPI, 'navigate');
 
       designDoc.save = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
       designDocs.fetch = function () {
-        var promise = $.Deferred();
-        promise.resolve();
-        return promise;
+        return FauxtonAPI.Promise.resolve();
       };
-      Actions.deleteView({
+      return Actions.deleteView({
         indexName: viewName,
         database: database,
         designDocs: designDocs,
         designDoc: designDoc,
         isOnIndex: true
+      }).then(() => {
+        assert.ok(spy.getCall(0).args[0].match(/_all_docs/));
+        assert.ok(spy.calledOnce);
       });
+    });
 
-      assert.ok(spy.getCall(0).args[0].match(/_all_docs/));
-      assert.ok(spy.calledOnce);
+    it('saves design doc if it has no view section', function () {
+      const ddoc = { _id: designDocId };
+      const ddocModel = new Documents.Doc(ddoc, { database: database });
+
+      ddocModel.setDdocView('testview', '() => {}', '() => {}');
+      assert.deepEqual(ddocModel.get('views'), {
+        testview: {
+          map: '() => {}',
+          reduce: '() => {}'
+        }
+      });
+      assert.equal(ddocModel.get('language'), 'javascript');
     });
 
+    it('removes old view only when editting', function () {
+      const viewInfo = {
+        newView: false,
+        originalDesignDocName: 'test',
+        designDocId: 'test',
+        originalViewName: 'foo',
+        viewName: 'bar'
+      };
+      assert.isTrue(Actions.shouldRemoveDdocView(viewInfo));
+
+      viewInfo.newView = true;
+      assert.isFalse(Actions.shouldRemoveDdocView(viewInfo));
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/app/addons/documents/index-editor/actions.js b/app/addons/documents/index-editor/actions.js
index 451a9e053..2f02396d8 100644
--- a/app/addons/documents/index-editor/actions.js
+++ b/app/addons/documents/index-editor/actions.js
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ function fetchDesignDocsBeforeEdit (options) {
   });
 }
 
+function shouldRemoveDdocView(viewInfo) {
+  return !viewInfo.newView &&
+          viewInfo.originalDesignDocName === viewInfo.designDocId &&
+          viewInfo.originalViewName !== viewInfo.viewName;
+}
+
 function saveView (viewInfo) {
   var designDoc = viewInfo.designDoc;
   designDoc.setDdocView(viewInfo.viewName, viewInfo.map, viewInfo.reduce);
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@ function saveView (viewInfo) {
   });
 
   // if the view name just changed and it's in the SAME design doc, remove the old one before saving the doc
-  if (viewInfo.originalDesignDocName === viewInfo.designDocId && viewInfo.originalViewName !== viewInfo.viewName) {
+  if (shouldRemoveDdocView(viewInfo)) {
     designDoc.removeDdocView(viewInfo.originalViewName);
   }
 
@@ -137,7 +143,7 @@ function deleteView (options) {
     FauxtonAPI.dispatch({ type: SidebarActionTypes.SIDEBAR_HIDE_DELETE_INDEX_MODAL });
   }
 
-  safeDeleteIndex(options.designDoc, options.designDocs, 'views', options.indexName, { onSuccess: onSuccess });
+  return safeDeleteIndex(options.designDoc, options.designDocs, 'views', options.indexName, { onSuccess: onSuccess });
 }
 
 function cloneView (params) {
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ function safeDeleteIndex (designDoc, designDocs, indexPropName, indexName, optio
     promise = designDoc.destroy();
     deleteDesignDoc = true;
   }
-  promise.then(function () {
+  return promise.then(function () {
     if (deleteDesignDoc) {
       designDocs.remove(designDoc.id);
     }
@@ -299,6 +305,7 @@ export default {
   editIndex: editIndex,
   clearIndex: clearIndex,
   fetchDesignDocsBeforeEdit: fetchDesignDocsBeforeEdit,
+  shouldRemoveDdocView: shouldRemoveDdocView,
   saveView: saveView,
   addDesignDoc: addDesignDoc,
   deleteView: deleteView,
diff --git a/app/addons/documents/shared-resources.js b/app/addons/documents/shared-resources.js
index 9bc1465d0..0f2516020 100644
--- a/app/addons/documents/shared-resources.js
+++ b/app/addons/documents/shared-resources.js
@@ -103,8 +103,13 @@ Documents.Doc = FauxtonAPI.Model.extend({
       return false;
     }
 
-    var views = this.get('views'),
-        tempView = views[view] || {};
+    let views = this.get('views');
+    // handles instances where the ddoc is empty (created manually)
+    if (!views) {
+      views = {};
+      this.set({language: "javascript"});
+    }
+    const tempView = views[view] || {};
 
     if (reduce) {
       tempView.reduce = reduce;
diff --git a/test/dev.js b/test/dev.js
index c897a856c..effdd8b1c 100644
--- a/test/dev.js
+++ b/test/dev.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 // This will search for files ending in .test.js and require them
 // so that they are added to the webpack bundle
-var context = require.context('../app/addons/documents/index-results/testse', true, /[Ss]pec/);
+var context = require.context('../app/addons/documents/index-editor/actionsSpec', true, /[Ss]pec/);
 console.log('Testing files', context.keys());
 context.keys().forEach(context);
 module.exports = context;