3 files changed, 50 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/app/helpers/preferences_helper.rb b/app/helpers/preferences_helper.rb
index a46f2c6e17d..6e68aad4cb7 100644
--- a/app/helpers/preferences_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/preferences_helper.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ module PreferencesHelper
   end
 
   def default_project_view
-    return 'readme' unless current_user
+    return anonymous_project_view unless current_user
 
     user_view = current_user.project_view
 
@@ -66,4 +66,8 @@ module PreferencesHelper
       "customize_workflow"
     end
   end
+
+  def anonymous_project_view
+    @project.empty_repo? || !can?(current_user, :download_code, @project) ? 'activity' : 'readme'
+  end
 end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/23990-project-show-error-when-empty-repo.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/23990-project-show-error-when-empty-repo.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8d4593d4df7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/23990-project-show-error-when-empty-repo.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: fixes 500 error on project show when user is not logged in and project is still empty
+merge_request: 7376
+author: 
diff --git a/spec/helpers/preferences_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/preferences_helper_spec.rb
index 2f9291afc3f..77841e85223 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/preferences_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/preferences_helper_spec.rb
@@ -85,4 +85,45 @@ describe PreferencesHelper do
         and_return(double('user', messages))
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#default_project_view' do
+    context 'user not signed in' do
+      before do
+        helper.instance_variable_set(:@project, project)
+        stub_user
+      end
+
+      context 'when repository is empty' do
+        let(:project) { create(:project_empty_repo, :public) }
+
+        it 'returns activity if user has repository access' do
+          allow(helper).to receive(:can?).with(nil, :download_code, project).and_return(true)
+
+          expect(helper.default_project_view).to eq('activity')
+        end
+
+        it 'returns activity if user does not have repository access' do
+          allow(helper).to receive(:can?).with(nil, :download_code, project).and_return(false)
+
+          expect(helper.default_project_view).to eq('activity')
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when repository is not empty' do
+        let(:project) { create(:project, :public) }
+
+        it 'returns readme if user has repository access' do
+          allow(helper).to receive(:can?).with(nil, :download_code, project).and_return(true)
+
+          expect(helper.default_project_view).to eq('readme')
+        end
+
+        it 'returns activity if user does not have repository access' do
+          allow(helper).to receive(:can?).with(nil, :download_code, project).and_return(false)
+
+          expect(helper.default_project_view).to eq('activity')
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end