diff --git a/field_collection.module b/field_collection.module
index 5692657..e23d9b5 100644
--- a/field_collection.module
+++ b/field_collection.module
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ function field_collection_field_info() {
       'settings' => array(
         'path' => '',
         'hide_blank_items' => TRUE,
+        'hide_initial_items' => FALSE,
       ),
       // Add entity property info.
       'property_type' => 'field_collection_item',
@@ -889,6 +890,19 @@ function field_collection_field_settings_form($field, $instance) {
       ),
     ),
   );
+  $form['hide_initial_items'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Hide initial items'),
+    '#default_value' => $field['settings']['hide_initial_items'],
+    '#description' => t("Remove the blank item that is always added to any multivalued field's form. If checked, user must explicitly add the field collection."),
+    '#weight' => 10,
+    '#states' => array(
+      // Hide the setting if the cardinality is 1.
+      'invisible' => array(
+        ':input[name="field[cardinality]"]' => array('value' => '1'),
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
   return $form;
 }
 
@@ -1402,7 +1416,7 @@ function field_collection_field_widget_form(&$form, &$form_state, $field, $insta
       }
       elseif (!empty($field['settings']['hide_blank_items']) && $field_state['items_count'] == 0) {
         // We show one item, so also specify that as item count. So when the
-        // add button is pressed the item count will be 2 and we show to items.
+        // add button is pressed the item count will be 2 and we show two items.
         $field_state['items_count'] = 1;
       }
 
@@ -1473,6 +1487,11 @@ function field_collection_field_attach_form($entity_type, $entity, &$form, &$for
       if ($form[$field_name][$element_langcode]['#max_delta'] > 0) {
         $form[$field_name][$element_langcode]['#max_delta']--;
       }
+      // remove blank form elements if set, force user to explicitly add a fc
+      if($field['settings']['hide_initial_items'] && !isset($form[$field_name][$element_langcode][0]['#entity']->item_id)){
+        unset($form[$field_name][$element_langcode][0]);
+        unset($form_state['field']['#parents'][$field_name][$element_langcode][0]);
+      }
     }
   }
 }