Index: wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-nav-menu-widget.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-nav-menu-widget.php	(revision 40920)
+++ wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-nav-menu-widget.php	(working copy)
@@ -118,8 +118,14 @@
 		$nav_menu = isset( $instance['nav_menu'] ) ? $instance['nav_menu'] : '';
 
 		// Get menus
-		$menus = wp_get_nav_menus();
+		 $menus = wp_get_nav_menus();
 
+        if (empty($menus)) {
+            $menus = wp_get_nav_menus(array(
+                'hide_empty' => true,
+            ));
+        }
+
 		// If no menus exists, direct the user to go and create some.
 		?>
 		<p class="nav-menu-widget-no-menus-message" <?php if ( ! empty( $menus ) ) { echo ' style="display:none" '; } ?>>