diff --git a/app/views/content_items/_content_item.html.erb b/app/views/content_items/_content_item.html.erb
index 0cec05dda..8c4f23cff 100644
--- a/app/views/content_items/_content_item.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/content_items/_content_item.html.erb
@@ -7,5 +7,11 @@
   <% end %>
   <td><%= content_item.document_type %></td>
   <td><%= content_item.unique_page_views %></td>
-  <td><%= time_ago_in_words(content_item.public_updated_at) %> ago</td>
+  <td>
+    <% if content_item.public_updated_at %>
+      <%= time_ago_in_words(content_item.public_updated_at) %> ago
+    <% else %>
+      Never
+    <% end %>
+  </td>
 </tr>
diff --git a/app/views/content_items/show.html.erb b/app/views/content_items/show.html.erb
index c5d2b3b21..9cdf43f0f 100644
--- a/app/views/content_items/show.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/content_items/show.html.erb
@@ -26,7 +26,13 @@
     </tr>
     <tr>
       <td>Last updated</td>
-      <td><%= time_ago_in_words(@content_item.public_updated_at) %> ago</td>
+      <td>
+        <% if @content_item.public_updated_at %>
+          <%= time_ago_in_words(@content_item.public_updated_at) %> ago
+        <% else %>
+          Never
+        <% end %>
+      </td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
       <td>Organisation</td>
diff --git a/spec/views/content_items/index.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/content_items/index.html.erb_spec.rb
index 87138f929..97d20161b 100644
--- a/spec/views/content_items/index.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/content_items/index.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@
       expect(rendered).to have_selector('table tbody tr', count: 2)
     end
 
+    context 'items that have never been published' do
+      it 'renders for no last updated value' do
+        content_items[0].public_updated_at = nil
+        render
+
+        expect(rendered).to have_selector('table tr td:nth(5)', text: 'Never')
+      end
+    end
+
     describe 'row content' do
       it 'items depict the Organisations they each belong to' do
         content_items[0].organisations.build(title: 'An organisation', slug: 'organisation-slug ')
@@ -114,6 +123,15 @@
 
         expect(rendered).to have_link('Last Updated', href: href)
       end
+
+      context 'items that have never been published' do
+        it 'renders for no last updated value' do
+          content_items[0].public_updated_at = nil
+          render
+
+          expect(rendered).to have_selector('table tr td:nth(4)', text: 'Never')
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/views/content_items/show.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/content_items/show.html.erb_spec.rb
index e2601b468..0bb0a277c 100644
--- a/spec/views/content_items/show.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/content_items/show.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -78,5 +78,14 @@
       expect(rendered).to have_selector('td', text: 'Organisation')
       expect(rendered).to have_selector('td + td', text: 'An Organisation, Another Organisation')
     end
+
+    context 'item has never been published' do
+      it 'renders for no last updated value' do
+        content_item.public_updated_at = nil
+        render
+
+        expect(rendered).to have_selector('table tbody tr:nth(5) td:nth(2)', text: 'Never')
+      end
+    end
   end
 end