diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/bug_36868_add_AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced_syspref.pl b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/bug_36868_add_AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced_syspref.pl
index 449ba45d15..ded98ba2a6 100755
--- a/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/bug_36868_add_AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced_syspref.pl
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/bug_36868_add_AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced_syspref.pl
@@ -8,14 +8,21 @@ return {
         my ($args) = @_;
         my ( $dbh, $out ) = @$args{qw(dbh out)};
 
-        # Do your stuff here
+        my $exists = $dbh->selectrow_array(
+            q{SELECT 1 FROM systempreferences WHERE variable = 'AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced'});
+
+        if ($exists) {
+            say_warning( $out, "System preference 'AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced' already exists, skipping" );
+            return;
+        }
+
         $dbh->do(
             q{
             INSERT IGNORE INTO systempreferences ( `variable`, `value`, `options`, `explanation`, `type` ) VALUES
             ('AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced', '','', 'Automatically delete items from cart when a hold is placed','Choice')
         }
         );
+        say_success( $out, "Added new system preference 'AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced'" );
 
-        say $out "Added new system preference 'AutoDeleteFromCartWhenHoldPlaced'";
     },
 };
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/basket.js b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/basket.js
index 2c34006ec9..671b9a0f45 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/basket.js
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/basket.js
@@ -269,6 +269,12 @@ function delSingleRecord(biblionumber) {
     var valCookie = readCookie(nameCookie);
     var arrayRecords = valCookie.split("/");
     var pos = jQuery.inArray(biblionumber, arrayRecords);
+
+    // the cart is empty, bail
+    if (pos <= 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     arrayRecords.splice(pos, 1);
     valCookie = arrayRecords.join("/");
     writeCookie(nameCookie, valCookie);
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/js/basket.js b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/js/basket.js
index 9d9588feab..8239aee56c 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/js/basket.js
+++ b/koha-tmpl/opac-tmpl/bootstrap/js/basket.js
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ function delSingleRecord(biblionumber) {
     var arrayRecords = valCookie.split("/");
     var pos = jQuery.inArray(biblionumber, arrayRecords);
     arrayRecords.splice(pos, 1);
+
+    //if cart is empty, bail
+    if (pos <= -1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     valCookie = arrayRecords.join("/");
     writeCookie(nameCookie, valCookie);
     updateBasket(arrayRecords.length - 1);