diff --git a/tildes/scss/_base.scss b/tildes/scss/_base.scss
index a00b34b..3dfc9bd 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/_base.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/_base.scss
@@ -156,17 +156,15 @@ menu {
   list-style-type: none;
 }
 
-ol {
-  list-style-position: outside;
-  margin: 0 0 1rem 2rem;
-
-  li {
-    margin-top: 0.2rem;
-    max-width: $paragraph-max-width - 2rem;
-  }
-
-  &:last-child {
-    margin-bottom: 0.2rem;
+// We'll use lists for their semantic value sometimes, so we don't want them to
+// have the normal list numbering/etc. by default. We'll specifically add that
+// back in for text-based lists in places where it's needed.
+ol, ul {
+  list-style: none;
+  margin: 0;
+
+  ol, ul {
+    list-style: none;
   }
 }
 
@@ -210,13 +208,3 @@ td, th {
 th {
   border-bottom-width: $border-width-lg;
 }
-
-ul {
-  list-style-position: outside;
-  margin: 0.4rem 0 0.4rem 1rem;
-
-  li {
-    margin-top: 0.2rem;
-    max-width: $paragraph-max-width - 1rem;
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tildes/scss/_placeholders.scss b/tildes/scss/_placeholders.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb67fbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/scss/_placeholders.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018 Tildes contributors <code@tildes.net>
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+// sets up (nested) lists specifically for text content
+%lists-text {
+  ol, ul {
+    list-style-position: inside;
+    margin: 0 0 0.4rem 1rem;
+
+    li {
+      margin-top: 0.2rem;
+      max-width: $paragraph-max-width - 1rem;
+    }
+
+    &:last-child {
+      margin-bottom: 0.2rem;
+    }
+  }
+
+  ol {
+    list-style-type: decimal;
+  }
+
+  ul {
+    list-style-type: disc;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_comment.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_comment.scss
index 604d863..c2d46b3 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_comment.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_comment.scss
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@
 }
 
 .comment-text {
+  @extend %lists-text;
+
   padding: 0.2rem;
   padding-left: 0.4rem;
   overflow: auto;
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_empty.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_empty.scss
index 143c6f2..336b829 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_empty.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_empty.scss
@@ -5,11 +5,3 @@
   background: inherit;
   color: inherit;
 }
-
-.empty-list {
-  list-style-type: none;
-
-  li {
-    max-width: unset;
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
index f5611aa..d49f881 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_nav.scss
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 .nav {
   li {
+    margin-bottom: 0;
     font-size: 0.6rem;
     font-weight: bold;
   }
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_post-buttons.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_post-buttons.scss
index 19c345d..3ec2da3 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_post-buttons.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_post-buttons.scss
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
     justify-content: left;
   }
 
+  li {
+    margin-top: 0;
+  }
+
   // Combined with flex-wrap: wrap, this should put any form on its own line
   form {
     min-width: 100%;
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_post.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_post.scss
index 86d45dc..b6515a7 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_post.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_post.scss
@@ -2,26 +2,12 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
 .post-listing {
-  list-style-type: none;
-  margin-left: 0;
-
   h2 {
     font-size: 0.6rem;
   }
 
-  // override the normal nested list behaviors
-  .comment-text ol, .topic-text-excerpt ol {
-    list-style-type: decimal;
-    margin: 0 0 1rem 2rem;
-  }
-
-  .comment-text ul, .topic-text-excerpt ul {
-    margin: 0.4rem 0 0.4rem 1rem;
-  }
-
   & > li {
     margin-bottom: 1rem;
-    max-width: none;
   }
 
   .is-topic-mine, .is-topic-official {
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_settings.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_settings.scss
index d962c81..24fa8ad 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_settings.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_settings.scss
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
 .settings-list {
-  list-style-type: none;
-
   li {
     margin-bottom: 1rem;
   }
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_topic.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_topic.scss
index ce6a7c6..418facc 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_topic.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_topic.scss
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2018 Tildes contributors <code@tildes.net>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
-.topic-listing {
-  list-style-type: none;
-  margin: 0;
-
-  & > li {
-    margin: 0;
-    margin-bottom: 0.2rem;
-    max-width: none;
-  }
+.topic-listing > li {
+  margin: 0 0 0.2rem 0;
 }
 
 .topic-listing-filter {
@@ -159,6 +152,8 @@
 }
 
 .topic-text-excerpt {
+  @extend %lists-text;
+
   display: none;
   @media (min-width: $size-md) {
     display: block;
@@ -172,10 +167,6 @@
     margin: 0 0 0.4rem 0;
   }
 
-  ol {
-    list-style-type: decimal;
-  }
-
   summary {
     line-height: 0.8rem;
   }
@@ -247,6 +238,8 @@
 }
 
 .topic-full-text {
+  @extend %lists-text;
+
   overflow: auto;
 }
 
diff --git a/tildes/scss/styles.scss b/tildes/scss/styles.scss
index d5bd4d7..2d04be8 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/styles.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/styles.scss
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 @import 'spectre-0.5.1/_variables.scss';
 
 @import 'mixins';
+@import 'placeholders';
 
 @import 'base';
 @import 'layout';
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/error_group_not_found.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/error_group_not_found.jinja2
index bfacb14..7ad5607 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/error_group_not_found.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/error_group_not_found.jinja2
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Group not found
   <h2 class="empty-title">No group named '{{ supplied_name }}'</h2>
   {% if group_suggestions %}
     <p class="empty-subtitle">Did you mean one of these groups instead?</p>
-    <ul class="empty-list">
+    <ul>
     {% for group in group_suggestions %}
       <li>{{ group_linked(group) }}</li>
     {% endfor %}