diff --git a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine-html.js b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine-html.js
index 328f424d..0be90bff 100644
--- a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine-html.js
+++ b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine-html.js
@@ -531,14 +531,13 @@ jasmineRequire.HtmlReporter = function(j$) {
           if (noExpectations(resultNode.result)) {
             specDescription = 'SPEC HAS NO EXPECTATIONS ' + specDescription;
           }
-          if (
-            resultNode.result.status === 'pending' &&
-            resultNode.result.pendingReason !== ''
-          ) {
-            specDescription =
-              specDescription +
-              ' PENDING WITH MESSAGE: ' +
-              resultNode.result.pendingReason;
+          if (resultNode.result.status === 'pending') {
+            if (resultNode.result.pendingReason !== '') {
+              specDescription +=
+                ' PENDING WITH MESSAGE: ' + resultNode.result.pendingReason;
+            } else {
+              specDescription += ' PENDING';
+            }
           }
           specListNode.appendChild(
             createDom(
diff --git a/spec/html/HtmlReporterSpec.js b/spec/html/HtmlReporterSpec.js
index cee8b949..5e36d830 100644
--- a/spec/html/HtmlReporterSpec.js
+++ b/spec/html/HtmlReporterSpec.js
@@ -1411,6 +1411,23 @@ describe('HtmlReporter', function() {
     describe('and there are pending specs', function() {
       let container, reporter;
 
+      function pendingSpecStatus() {
+        return {
+          id: 123,
+          description: 'with a spec',
+          fullName: 'A Suite with a spec',
+          status: 'pending',
+          passedExpectations: [],
+          failedExpectations: []
+        };
+      }
+
+      function reportWithSpecStatus(specStatus) {
+        reporter.specStarted(specStatus);
+        reporter.specDone(specStatus);
+        reporter.jasmineDone({});
+      }
+
       beforeEach(function() {
         container = document.createElement('div');
         const getContainer = function() {
@@ -1429,21 +1446,10 @@ describe('HtmlReporter', function() {
         reporter.initialize();
 
         reporter.jasmineStarted({ totalSpecsDefined: 1 });
-        const specStatus = {
-          id: 123,
-          description: 'with a spec',
-          fullName: 'A Suite with a spec',
-          status: 'pending',
-          passedExpectations: [],
-          failedExpectations: [],
-          pendingReason: 'my custom pending reason'
-        };
-        reporter.specStarted(specStatus);
-        reporter.specDone(specStatus);
-        reporter.jasmineDone({});
       });
 
       it('reports the pending specs count', function() {
+        reportWithSpecStatus(pendingSpecStatus());
         const alertBar = container.querySelector('.jasmine-alert .jasmine-bar');
 
         expect(alertBar.innerHTML).toMatch(
@@ -1452,17 +1458,36 @@ describe('HtmlReporter', function() {
       });
 
       it('reports no failure details', function() {
+        reportWithSpecStatus(pendingSpecStatus());
         const specFailure = container.querySelector('.jasmine-failures');
 
         expect(specFailure.childNodes.length).toEqual(0);
       });
 
       it('displays the custom pending reason', function() {
+        reportWithSpecStatus({
+          ...pendingSpecStatus(),
+          pendingReason: 'my custom pending reason'
+        });
         const pendingDetails = container.querySelector(
           '.jasmine-summary .jasmine-pending'
         );
 
-        expect(pendingDetails.innerHTML).toContain('my custom pending reason');
+        expect(pendingDetails.innerHTML).toContain(
+          'PENDING WITH MESSAGE: my custom pending reason'
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('indicates that the spec is pending even if there is no reason', function() {
+        reportWithSpecStatus({
+          ...pendingSpecStatus(),
+          pendingReason: ''
+        });
+        const pendingDetails = container.querySelector(
+          '.jasmine-summary .jasmine-pending'
+        );
+
+        expect(pendingDetails.innerHTML).toContain('PENDING');
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/src/html/HtmlReporter.js b/src/html/HtmlReporter.js
index d1b99cd7..bd3cd846 100644
--- a/src/html/HtmlReporter.js
+++ b/src/html/HtmlReporter.js
@@ -498,14 +498,13 @@ jasmineRequire.HtmlReporter = function(j$) {
           if (noExpectations(resultNode.result)) {
             specDescription = 'SPEC HAS NO EXPECTATIONS ' + specDescription;
           }
-          if (
-            resultNode.result.status === 'pending' &&
-            resultNode.result.pendingReason !== ''
-          ) {
-            specDescription =
-              specDescription +
-              ' PENDING WITH MESSAGE: ' +
-              resultNode.result.pendingReason;
+          if (resultNode.result.status === 'pending') {
+            if (resultNode.result.pendingReason !== '') {
+              specDescription +=
+                ' PENDING WITH MESSAGE: ' + resultNode.result.pendingReason;
+            } else {
+              specDescription += ' PENDING';
+            }
           }
           specListNode.appendChild(
             createDom(