diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
index 4dd236b505..037fdf7312 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/models/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ describe "CMS.Models.Textbook", ->
     it "should not show chapters by default", ->
         expect(@model.get("showChapters")).toBeFalsy()
 
-    it "should have an empty ChapterSet by default", ->
+    it "should have a ChapterSet with one chapter by default", ->
         chapters = @model.get("chapters")
         expect(chapters).toBeInstanceOf(CMS.Collections.ChapterSet)
-        expect(chapters.isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
-        expect(chapters.length).toEqual(0)
+        expect(chapters.length).toEqual(1)
+        expect(chapters.at(0).isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
 
     it "should be empty by default", ->
         expect(@model.isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
diff --git a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
index b890caa4aa..848afe9830 100644
--- a/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
+++ b/cms/static/coffee/spec/views/textbook_spec.coffee
@@ -89,12 +89,6 @@ describe "CMS.Views.EditTextbook", ->
             @view.render()
             expect(@view.$("input[name=textbook-name]").val()).toEqual("Life Sciences")
 
-        it "should create an empty chapter when it is rendered, if there are no chapters", ->
-            expect(@model.get("chapters").length).toEqual(0)
-            @view.render()
-            expect(@model.get("chapters").length).toEqual(1)
-            expect(@model.get("chapters").last().isEmpty()).toBeTruthy()
-
         it "should allow you to create new empty chapters", ->
             @view.render()
             numChapters = @model.get("chapters").length
@@ -122,13 +116,23 @@ describe "CMS.Views.EditTextbook", ->
             expect(@collection.save).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
             expect(@collection.editing).toBeUndefined()
 
-        it "does not save empty chapters on cancel", ->
+        it "removes all empty chapters on cancel if the model has a non-empty chapter", ->
             chapters = @model.get("chapters")
-            origLength = chapters.length
+            chapters.at(0).set("name", "non-empty")
             @view.render()
             chapters.add([{}, {}, {}]) # add three empty chapters
+            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(4)
             @view.$(".action-cancel").click()
-            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(origLength)
+            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(1)
+            expect(chapters.at(0).get('name')).toEqual("non-empty")
+
+        it "removes all empty chapters on cancel except one if the model has no non-empty chapters", ->
+            chapters = @model.get("chapters")
+            @view.render()
+            chapters.add([{}, {}, {}]) # add three empty chapters
+            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(4)
+            @view.$(".action-cancel").click()
+            expect(chapters.length).toEqual(1)
 
 
 describe "CMS.Views.ListTextbooks", ->
diff --git a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
index 42112a4d96..669f80c55b 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/models/textbook.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ CMS.Models.Textbook = Backbone.AssociatedModel.extend({
     defaults: function() {
         return {
             name: "",
-            chapters: new CMS.Collections.ChapterSet(),
+            chapters: new CMS.Collections.ChapterSet([{}]),
             showChapters: false
         };
     },
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
index 16ff5444c8..d09930c2a5 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/textbook.js
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@ CMS.Views.EditTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
             name: this.model.escape('name'),
             errors: null
         }));
-        var chapters = this.model.get('chapters');
-        if (chapters.length === 0) {
-            chapters.add([{}]);
-        }
         this.addAll();
         return this;
     },
@@ -153,8 +149,14 @@ CMS.Views.EditTextbook = Backbone.View.extend({
         } else {
             // remove empty chapters from textbook
             var chapters = this.model.get("chapters");
-            chapters.remove(chapters.filter(
-                function(chapter) { return chapter.isEmpty(); }));
+            var emptyChapters = chapters.filter(function(chapter) {
+                return chapter.isEmpty(); });
+            if (chapters.length === emptyChapters.length) {
+                // make sure that there's always at least one chapter remaining
+                // in the chapterset, even if it's empty
+                emptyChapters = _.tail(emptyChapters);
+            }
+            chapters.remove(emptyChapters);
         }
         textbooks.trigger('render');
         return this;