diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index 2ad018f7..6120a452 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -1855,7 +1855,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             "edit": "edit" in self.uparam,
             "title": html_escape(self.vpath, crlf=True),
             "lastmod": int(ts_md * 1000),
-            "md_emp": "true" if self.args.emp else "false",
+            "have_emp": self.args.emp,
             "md_chk_rate": self.args.mcr,
             "md": boundary,
             "arg_base": arg_base,
@@ -2384,6 +2384,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             "perms": json.dumps(perms),
             "taglist": [],
             "def_hcols": [],
+            "have_emp": self.args.emp,
             "have_up2k_idx": ("e2d" in vn.flags),
             "have_tags_idx": ("e2t" in vn.flags),
             "have_acode": (not self.args.no_acode),
@@ -2617,7 +2618,6 @@ class HttpCli(object):
 
         j2a["logues"] = logues
         j2a["taglist"] = taglist
-        j2a["md_emp"] = self.args.emp
         j2a["txt_ext"] = self.args.textfiles.replace(",", " ")
 
         if "mth" in vn.flags:
diff --git a/copyparty/web/browser.html b/copyparty/web/browser.html
index 9424818d..0c5655b6 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/browser.html
+++ b/copyparty/web/browser.html
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
 			have_unpost = {{ have_unpost|tojson }},
 			have_zip = {{ have_zip|tojson }},
 			turbolvl = {{ turbolvl|tojson }},
-			md_emp = {{ md_emp|tojson }},
+			have_emp = {{ have_emp|tojson }},
 			txt_ext = "{{ txt_ext }}",
 			{% if no_prism %}no_prism = 1,{% endif %}
 			readme = {{ readme|tojson }},
diff --git a/copyparty/web/md.html b/copyparty/web/md.html
index 5e0b1d60..f82914ff 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/md.html
+++ b/copyparty/web/md.html
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ write markdown (most html is 🙆 too)
 	<script>
 
 var last_modified = {{ lastmod }},
-	md_emp = {{ md_emp }};
+	have_emp = {{ have_emp }};
 
 var md_opt = {
 	link_md_as_html: false,
diff --git a/copyparty/web/mde.html b/copyparty/web/mde.html
index cbc32c54..fab2b906 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/mde.html
+++ b/copyparty/web/mde.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 	<script>
 
 var last_modified = {{ lastmod }},
-	md_emp = {{ md_emp }};
+	have_emp = {{ have_emp }};
 
 var md_opt = {
 	link_md_as_html: false,
diff --git a/copyparty/web/util.js b/copyparty/web/util.js
index 388206a1..cfd41da5 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/util.js
+++ b/copyparty/web/util.js
@@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@ var md_plug_err = function (ex, js) {
         console.log(ex, js);
 };
 function load_md_plug(md_text, plug_type) {
-    if (!md_emp)
+    if (!have_emp)
         return md_text;
 
     var find = '\n```copyparty_' + plug_type + '\n';