diff --git a/entityreference_views_formatter.module b/entityreference_views_formatter.module
index 36454c2..bc30372 100644
--- a/entityreference_views_formatter.module
+++ b/entityreference_views_formatter.module
@@ -70,22 +70,29 @@ function entityreference_views_formatter_field_formatter_prepare_view($entity_ty
   foreach ($entities as $id => $entity) {
     $output = '';
     $is_empty = TRUE;
+    $first_item = array();
     $view = views_get_view($displays[$id]['settings']['view_name']);
     if ($view) {
       $display = $displays[$id]['settings']['view_display'];
       if ($view->access($display)) {
         $view->set_display($display);
         $view->set_arguments(array($id));
-        $output = $view->preview($display);
-        $is_empty = ((strlen($output) == 0) || ((empty($view->result))) && (count($view->display_handler->get_option('empty')) == 0));
+
+        // We discard the existing items array for this entity and replace it
+        // with an array of at least the rendered output and also the count
+        // of the total rows if the get_total_rows flag has been set.
+        $first_item = isset($items[$id][0]) ? $items[$id][0] : array();
+        $first_item['rendered'] = $view->preview($display);
+        if (!empty($view->get_total_rows)) {
+          $first_item['total_rows'] = $view->total_rows;
+        }
+
+        $is_empty = ((strlen($first_item['rendered']) == 0) || ((empty($view->result))) && (count($view->display_handler->get_option('empty')) == 0));
         $view->destroy();
       }
     }
-    // We discard the existing items array for this entity and replace it with an
-    // array of just one item, the rendered view output.
+
     if (!$is_empty) {
-      $first_item = isset($items[$id][0]) ? $items[$id][0] : array();
-      $first_item['rendered'] = $output;
       $items[$id] = array($first_item);
     }
     else {