diff --git a/config/schema/field_group.field_group_formatter_plugin.schema.yml b/config/schema/field_group.field_group_formatter_plugin.schema.yml
index 82b8f27..0914096 100644
--- a/config/schema/field_group.field_group_formatter_plugin.schema.yml
+++ b/config/schema/field_group.field_group_formatter_plugin.schema.yml
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ field_group.field_group_formatter_plugin.base:
     classes:
       type: string
       label:  'Classes of the fieldgroup'
+    show_empty_fields:
+      type: boolean
+      label: 'Show Empty Fields'
     id:
       type: string
-      label: 'Html id of the fieldgroup'
\ No newline at end of file
+      label: 'Html id of the fieldgroup'
diff --git a/field_group.module b/field_group.module
index e85c489..a5beae7 100644
--- a/field_group.module
+++ b/field_group.module
@@ -783,10 +783,15 @@ function field_group_remove_empty_display_groups(& $element, $groups) {
 
     // Descend if the child is a group.
     if (in_array($name, $groups)) {
-      $empty_child = field_group_remove_empty_display_groups($element[$name], $groups);
-      if (!$empty_child) {
+      if ($element[$name]['#show_empty_fields']) {
         $empty_group = FALSE;
       }
+      else {
+        $empty_child = field_group_remove_empty_display_groups($element[$name], $groups);
+        if (!$empty_child) {
+          $empty_group = FALSE;
+        }
+      }
     }
     // Child is a field or a renderable array and the element is not empty.
     elseif (!empty($element[$name])) {
diff --git a/src/FieldGroupFormatterBase.php b/src/FieldGroupFormatterBase.php
index b9028c9..bded3d1 100644
--- a/src/FieldGroupFormatterBase.php
+++ b/src/FieldGroupFormatterBase.php
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ abstract class FieldGroupFormatterBase extends PluginSettingsBase implements Fie
       '#weight' => -5,
     );
 
+    $form['show_empty_fields'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'checkbox',
+      '#title' => t('Show Empty Fields'),
+      '#description' => t('Display this field group even if the contained fields are currently empty.'),
+      '#default_value' => $this->getSetting('show_empty_fields'),
+    );
+
     $form['id'] = array(
       '#title' => t('ID'),
       '#type' => 'textfield',
@@ -120,6 +127,10 @@ abstract class FieldGroupFormatterBase extends PluginSettingsBase implements Fie
       $summary[] = $this->pluginDefinition['label'] . ': ' . $this->getSetting('formatter');
     }
 
+    if ($this->getSetting('show_empty_fields')) {
+      $summary[] = $this->t('Show Empty Fields');
+    }
+
     if ($this->getSetting('id')) {
       $summary[] = $this->t('Id: @id', array('@id' => $this->getSetting('id')));
     }
@@ -144,6 +155,7 @@ abstract class FieldGroupFormatterBase extends PluginSettingsBase implements Fie
   public static function defaultContextSettings($context) {
     return array(
       'classes' => '',
+      'show_empty_fields' => 0,
       'id' => '',
     );
   }
@@ -174,6 +186,7 @@ abstract class FieldGroupFormatterBase extends PluginSettingsBase implements Fie
     $element['#group_name'] = $this->group->group_name;
     $element['#entity_type'] = $this->group->entity_type;
     $element['#bundle'] = $this->group->bundle;
+    $element['#show_empty_fields'] = $this->getSetting('show_empty_fields');
   }
 
 }