diff --git a/app/models/story.rb b/app/models/story.rb
index 8f40bfb..c233543 100644
--- a/app/models/story.rb
+++ b/app/models/story.rb
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ def as_json(options = {})
       summaryTooLong: summary && summary.size > 1250,
       chapters: chapters.sort_by(&:position).map { |c|
         c.as_json(only: [:id, :title, :position])
-          .merge!(
-            title: (c.title.blank? ? "Chapter #{c.position}" : c.title),
-            textLength: c.text.size,
-            textTooLong: c.text.size > 510_000 # Same as Archive MAX_LENGTH
-          ).except!(:content)
+         .merge!(
+           title: (c.title.blank? ? "Chapter #{c.position}" : c.title),
+           textLength: c.text.size,
+           textTooLong: c.text.size > 510_000 # Same as Archive MAX_LENGTH
+         ).except!(:content)
       }
     )
   end
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@ def to_work(archive_config, host)
       language_code,
       categories,
       tags,
-      "#{archive_config.stories_note}\n<br/><br/><p>--</p><br/>#{notes}",
+      "#{archive_config.stories_note}\n" +
+        if notes.present?
+          "<br/><br/><p>--</p><br/>#{notes}"
+        else
+          ""
+        end,
       id,
       summary,
       chapters.map { |c| chapter_url(c, host: host) }
diff --git a/app/models/story_link.rb b/app/models/story_link.rb
index 2c3ff63..55809b1 100644
--- a/app/models/story_link.rb
+++ b/app/models/story_link.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ def to_bookmark(archive_config)
       characters,
       language_code,
       archive_config.collection_name,
-      "#{archive_config.bookmarks_note}\n<br/><br/><p>--</p><br/>#{notes}",
+      "#{archive_config.bookmarks_note}\n" +
+        if notes.present?
+          "<br/><br/><p>--</p><br/>#{notes}"
+        else
+          ""
+        end,
       tags,
       false,
       false
diff --git a/spec/models/story_link_spec.rb b/spec/models/story_link_spec.rb
index f1707f5..18e8a8d 100644
--- a/spec/models/story_link_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/story_link_spec.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 describe StoryLink, type: :model do
   let!(:author1) { create(:author_with_stories, audit_comment: "Test") }
   let(:story_link) { create(:story_link, author_id: author1.id, notes: "Original Notes", audit_comment: "Test") }
+  let(:story_link_no_notes) { create(:story_link, author_id: author1.id, audit_comment: "Test") }
 
   it 'converts a story link to a bookmark with all fields correct' do
     config = create(:archive_config, bookmarks_note: "Bookmark note")
@@ -11,6 +12,12 @@
     expect(bookmark.language_code).to eq "en"
   end
 
+  it 'doesn’t include a separator if no notes are present' do
+    config = create(:archive_config, bookmarks_note: "Bookmark note")
+    bookmark = story_link_no_notes.to_bookmark(config)
+    expect(bookmark.notes).to eq "Bookmark note\n"
+  end
+
   it 'returns a summary too long error in json object' do
     stub_const("SUMMARY_LENGTH", 4)
     story = StoryLink.new(
diff --git a/spec/models/story_spec.rb b/spec/models/story_spec.rb
index c78a858..29f9532 100644
--- a/spec/models/story_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/story_spec.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
   let!(:author1) { create(:author_with_stories, audit_comment: "Test") }
   let(:story1) { create(:story, author_id: author1.id, notes: "Original Notes", language_code: "de", audit_comment: "Test") }
+  let(:story_no_notes) { create(:story, author_id: author1.id, audit_comment: "Test") }
 
   it 'converts a story with all fields correctly' do
     config = create(:archive_config, stories_note: "Story note")
@@ -14,6 +15,12 @@
     expect(work.language_code).to eq "de"
   end
 
+  it 'doesn’t include a separator if no notes are present' do
+    config = create(:archive_config, stories_note: "Story note")
+    work = story_no_notes.to_work(config, "test")
+    expect(work.notes).to eq "Story note\n"
+  end
+
   it 'returns a summary too long error in json object' do
     stub_const("SUMMARY_LENGTH", 4)
     story = Story.new(