diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/forms.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/forms.py
index 03e4ecd45..9485e4619 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/forms.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/forms.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ EditorsPickFormSetBase = inlineformset_factory(models.Query, models.EditorsPick,
 
 
 class EditorsPickFormSet(EditorsPickFormSetBase):
+    minimum_forms = 1
+    minimum_forms_message = _("Please specify at least one recommendation for this search term.")
     def add_fields(self, form, *args, **kwargs):
         super(EditorsPickFormSet, self).add_fields(form, *args, **kwargs)
 
@@ -40,3 +42,20 @@ class EditorsPickFormSet(EditorsPickFormSetBase):
 
         # Remove query field
         del form.fields['query']
+
+    def clean(self):
+        # Editors pick must have at least one recommended page to be valid
+        # Check there is at least one non-deleted form.
+        non_deleted_forms = self.total_form_count()
+        non_empty_forms = 0
+        for i in xrange(0, self.total_form_count()):
+            form = self.forms[i]
+            if self.can_delete and self._should_delete_form(form):
+                non_deleted_forms -= 1
+            if not (form.instance.id is None and not form.has_changed()):
+                non_empty_forms += 1
+        if (
+            non_deleted_forms < self.minimum_forms
+            or non_empty_forms < self.minimum_forms
+        ):
+            raise forms.ValidationError(self.minimum_forms_message)
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/templates/wagtailsearch/editorspicks/add.html b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/templates/wagtailsearch/editorspicks/add.html
index 3c927d96c..f443d1a6a 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/templates/wagtailsearch/editorspicks/add.html
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/templates/wagtailsearch/editorspicks/add.html
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     {% include "wagtailadmin/shared/header.html" with title=add_str icon="pick" %}
 
     <div class="nice-padding">
-        {% blocktrans %}s
+        {% blocktrans %}
         <p>Editors picks are a means of recommending specific pages that might not organically come high up in search results. E.g recommending your primary donation page to a user searching with a less common term like "<em>giving</em>".</p>
         {% endblocktrans %}
         {% blocktrans %}
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/editorspicks.py b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/editorspicks.py
index 97332818e..bb39c02ba 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/editorspicks.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailsearch/views/editorspicks.py
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ def index(request):
 
 
 def save_editorspicks(query, new_query, editors_pick_formset):
-    # Set sort_order
-    for i, form in enumerate(editors_pick_formset.ordered_forms):
-        form.instance.sort_order = i
-
     # Save
     if editors_pick_formset.is_valid():
+        # Set sort_order
+        for i, form in enumerate(editors_pick_formset.ordered_forms):
+            form.instance.sort_order = i
+
         editors_pick_formset.save()
 
         # If query was changed, move all editors picks to the new query
@@ -72,10 +72,14 @@ def add(request):
 
             # Save editors picks
             editors_pick_formset = forms.EditorsPickFormSet(request.POST, instance=query)
-
             if save_editorspicks(query, query, editors_pick_formset):
                 messages.success(request, _("Editor's picks for '{0}' created.").format(query))
                 return redirect('wagtailsearch_editorspicks_index')
+            else:
+                if len(editors_pick_formset.non_form_errors()):
+                    messages.error(request, " ".join(error for error in editors_pick_formset.non_form_errors()))  # formset level error (e.g. no forms submitted)
+                else:
+                    messages.error(request, _("Recommendations have not been created due to errors"))  # specific errors will be displayed within form fields
         else:
             editors_pick_formset = forms.EditorsPickFormSet()
     else:
@@ -95,15 +99,22 @@ def edit(request, query_id):
     if request.POST:
         # Get query
         query_form = forms.QueryForm(request.POST)
+        # and the recommendations
+        editors_pick_formset = forms.EditorsPickFormSet(request.POST, instance=query)
+
         if query_form.is_valid():
             new_query = models.Query.get(query_form['query_string'].value())
 
             # Save editors picks
-            editors_pick_formset = forms.EditorsPickFormSet(request.POST, instance=query)
-
             if save_editorspicks(query, new_query, editors_pick_formset):
                 messages.success(request, _("Editor's picks for '{0}' updated.").format(new_query))
                 return redirect('wagtailsearch_editorspicks_index')
+            else:
+                if len(editors_pick_formset.non_form_errors()):
+                    messages.error(request, " ".join(error for error in editors_pick_formset.non_form_errors()))  # formset level error (e.g. no forms submitted)
+                else:
+                    messages.error(request, _("Recommendations have not been saved due to errors"))  # specific errors will be displayed within form fields
+
     else:
         query_form = forms.QueryForm(initial=dict(query_string=query.query_string))
         editors_pick_formset = forms.EditorsPickFormSet(instance=query)