diff --git a/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.stories.tsx b/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.stories.tsx
index 4e7c53172449..a4c6ea5c32b0 100644
--- a/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.stories.tsx
+++ b/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.stories.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 import React, { Fragment } from 'react';
+import type { Meta, StoryFn } from '@storybook/react';
 
 import { Placeholder } from './placeholder';
 import { Link } from '../typography/link/link';
 
 export default {
   component: Placeholder,
-};
+} as Meta<typeof Placeholder>;
 
-export const SingleChild = () => (
+type Story = StoryFn<typeof Placeholder>;
+
+export const SingleChild: Story = () => (
   <Placeholder>This is a placeholder with single child, it's bolded</Placeholder>
 );
-export const TwoChildren = () => (
+
+export const TwoChildren: Story = () => (
   <Placeholder>
     <Fragment key="title">This has two children, the first bold</Fragment>
     <Fragment key="desc">
diff --git a/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.tsx b/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.tsx
index ad2367a46e01..9cfff19fb449 100644
--- a/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.tsx
+++ b/code/ui/components/src/components/placeholder/placeholder.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ const Desc = styled.div();
 
 const Message = styled.div(({ theme }) => ({
   padding: 30,
-  textAlign: 'center',
+  height: '100%',
+  justifyContent: 'center',
+  alignItems: 'center',
+  display: 'flex',
+  flexDirection: 'column',
   color: theme.color.defaultText,
   fontSize: theme.typography.size.s2 - 1,
 }));
diff --git a/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.stories.tsx b/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.stories.tsx
index 46a332a87f1f..efae04e56eda 100644
--- a/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.stories.tsx
+++ b/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.stories.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { expect } from '@storybook/test';
-import React, { Fragment } from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import { action } from '@storybook/addon-actions';
 import type { Meta, StoryObj } from '@storybook/react';
 import { within, fireEvent, waitFor, screen, userEvent, findByText } from '@storybook/test';
-import { CPUIcon, MemoryIcon } from '@storybook/icons';
+import { BottomBarIcon, CloseIcon } from '@storybook/icons';
 import { Tabs, TabsState, TabWrapper } from './tabs';
 import type { ChildrenList } from './tabs.helpers';
 import { IconButton } from '../IconButton/IconButton';
@@ -260,7 +260,27 @@ export const StatelessBordered = {
   ),
 } satisfies Story;
 
+const AddonTools = () => (
+  <div
+    style={{
+      display: 'flex',
+      alignItems: 'center',
+      gap: 6,
+    }}
+  >
+    <IconButton title="Tool 1">
+      <BottomBarIcon />
+    </IconButton>
+    <IconButton title="Tool 2">
+      <CloseIcon />
+    </IconButton>
+  </div>
+);
+
 export const StatelessWithTools = {
+  args: {
+    tools: <AddonTools />,
+  },
   render: (args) => (
     <Tabs
       bordered
@@ -269,22 +289,12 @@ export const StatelessWithTools = {
       actions={{
         onSelect,
       }}
-      tools={
-        <Fragment>
-          <IconButton title="Tool 1">
-            <MemoryIcon />
-          </IconButton>
-          <IconButton title="Tool 2">
-            <CPUIcon />
-          </IconButton>
-        </Fragment>
-      }
       {...args}
     >
       {content}
     </Tabs>
   ),
-} satisfies Story;
+} satisfies StoryObj<typeof Tabs>;
 
 export const StatelessAbsolute = {
   parameters: {
@@ -303,7 +313,7 @@ export const StatelessAbsolute = {
       {content}
     </Tabs>
   ),
-} satisfies Story;
+} satisfies StoryObj<typeof Tabs>;
 
 export const StatelessAbsoluteBordered = {
   parameters: {
@@ -323,9 +333,13 @@ export const StatelessAbsoluteBordered = {
       {content}
     </Tabs>
   ),
-} satisfies Story;
+} satisfies StoryObj<typeof Tabs>;
 
-export const StatelessEmpty = {
+export const StatelessEmptyWithTools = {
+  args: {
+    ...StatelessWithTools.args,
+    showToolsWhenEmpty: true,
+  },
   parameters: {
     layout: 'fullscreen',
   },
@@ -340,4 +354,25 @@ export const StatelessEmpty = {
       {...args}
     />
   ),
-} satisfies Story;
+} satisfies StoryObj<typeof Tabs>;
+
+export const StatelessWithCustomEmpty = {
+  args: {
+    ...StatelessEmptyWithTools.args,
+    customEmptyContent: <div>I am custom!</div>,
+  },
+  parameters: {
+    layout: 'fullscreen',
+  },
+  render: (args) => (
+    <Tabs
+      actions={{
+        onSelect,
+      }}
+      bordered
+      menuName="Addons"
+      absolute
+      {...args}
+    />
+  ),
+} satisfies StoryObj<typeof Tabs>;
diff --git a/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx b/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
index 0e3484eab4ba..afa542e2ee99 100644
--- a/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
+++ b/code/ui/components/src/components/tabs/tabs.tsx
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ export interface TabsProps {
   }>[];
   id?: string;
   tools?: ReactNode;
+  showToolsWhenEmpty?: boolean;
+  customEmptyContent?: ReactNode;
   selected?: string;
   actions?: {
     onSelect: (id: string) => void;
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ export const Tabs: FC<TabsProps> = memo(
     backgroundColor,
     id: htmlId,
     menuName,
+    customEmptyContent,
+    showToolsWhenEmpty,
   }) => {
     const idList = childrenToList(children)
       .map((i) => i.id)
@@ -157,7 +161,17 @@ export const Tabs: FC<TabsProps> = memo(
 
     const { visibleList, tabBarRef, tabRefs, AddonTab } = useList(list);
 
-    return list.length ? (
+    const EmptyState = customEmptyContent ?? (
+      <Placeholder>
+        <Fragment key="title">Nothing found</Fragment>
+      </Placeholder>
+    );
+
+    if (!showToolsWhenEmpty && list.length === 0) {
+      return EmptyState;
+    }
+
+    return (
       <Wrapper absolute={absolute} bordered={bordered} id={htmlId}>
         <FlexBar scrollable={false} border backgroundColor={backgroundColor}>
           <TabBar style={{ whiteSpace: 'normal' }} ref={tabBarRef} role="tablist">
@@ -190,15 +204,13 @@ export const Tabs: FC<TabsProps> = memo(
           {tools}
         </FlexBar>
         <Content id="panel-tab-content" bordered={bordered} absolute={absolute}>
-          {list.map(({ id, active, render }) => {
-            return React.createElement(render, { key: id, active }, null);
-          })}
+          {list.length
+            ? list.map(({ id, active, render }) => {
+                return React.createElement(render, { key: id, active }, null);
+              })
+            : EmptyState}
         </Content>
       </Wrapper>
-    ) : (
-      <Placeholder>
-        <Fragment key="title">Nothing found</Fragment>
-      </Placeholder>
     );
   }
 );
diff --git a/code/ui/manager/src/components/panel/Panel.tsx b/code/ui/manager/src/components/panel/Panel.tsx
index e37339445c82..56cc32e7a161 100644
--- a/code/ui/manager/src/components/panel/Panel.tsx
+++ b/code/ui/manager/src/components/panel/Panel.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import React, { Component } from 'react';
-import { Tabs, IconButton } from '@storybook/components';
+import React, { Component, Fragment } from 'react';
+import { Tabs, IconButton, Placeholder, P, Link } from '@storybook/components';
 import type { State } from '@storybook/manager-api';
 import { shortcutToHumanString } from '@storybook/manager-api';
 import type { Addon_BaseType } from '@storybook/types';
 import { styled } from '@storybook/theming';
-import { BottomBarIcon, CloseIcon, SidebarAltIcon } from '@storybook/icons';
+import { BottomBarIcon, CloseIcon, DocumentIcon, SidebarAltIcon } from '@storybook/icons';
 import { useLayout } from '../layout/LayoutProvider';
 
 export interface SafeTabProps {
@@ -60,6 +60,23 @@ export const AddonPanel = React.memo<{
         {...(selectedPanel ? { selected: selectedPanel } : {})}
         menuName="Addons"
         actions={actions}
+        showToolsWhenEmpty
+        customEmptyContent={
+          <Placeholder>
+            <Fragment key="title">
+              <P>Storybook add-ons</P>
+            </Fragment>
+            <EmptyStateDescription key="content">
+              <P>
+                Integrate your tools with Storybook to connect workflows and unlock advanced
+                features.
+              </P>
+              <Link href={'https://storybook.js.org/integrations'} target="_blank" withArrow>
+                <DocumentIcon /> Explore integrations catalog
+              </Link>
+            </EmptyStateDescription>
+          </Placeholder>
+        }
         tools={
           <Actions>
             {isDesktop ? (
@@ -108,3 +125,9 @@ const Actions = styled.div({
   alignItems: 'center',
   gap: 6,
 });
+
+const EmptyStateDescription = styled.div({
+  display: 'flex',
+  alignItems: 'center',
+  flexDirection: 'column',
+});