diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0d6d4a0..bf87441 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ contain column names eg. `['Section', 'Notes']`
 * `allowNonTranslatableTranslation` - default=`false`, if set to true resources marked
 non-translatable but translated are permitted
 * `allowEmptyTranslations` - default=`false`, if set to true then empty values are permitted
+* `handleEmptyTranslationsAsDefault` - default=`false`, if set to true empty values do not result in entries in non-default languages, i.e. no empty XML entries for non-default languages being created. If set to `true` then `allowEmptyTranslations` is ignored for all but default language
 * `outputFileName` - default=`strings.xml`, XML file name (with extension) which should be generated as an output
 * `outputIndent` - default=`  `(two spaces), character(s) used to indent each line in output XML files
 * `skipInvalidName` - default=`false`, if set to true then rows with invalid key names will be ignored instead
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ConfigExtension.groovy b/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ConfigExtension.groovy
index 5142bf0..6d49195 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ConfigExtension.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ConfigExtension.groovy
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import java.text.Normalizer
  * @author koral--
  */
 class ConfigExtension {
+    boolean handleEmptyTranslationsAsDefault = false
     boolean allowNonTranslatableTranslation = false
     boolean allowEmptyTranslations = false
     boolean escapeApostrophes = true
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParserEngine.groovy b/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParserEngine.groovy
index e507fe7..b9d3514 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParserEngine.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParserEngine.groovy
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ class ParserEngine {
                     if (value.empty) {
                         if (!translatable && builder.mQualifier != mConfig.defaultColumnName)
                             continue
+                        if (mConfig.handleEmptyTranslationsAsDefault && builder.mQualifier != mConfig.defaultColumnName)
+                            continue
                         if (!mConfig.allowEmptyTranslations)
                             throw new IllegalArgumentException("$name is not translated to locale $builder.mQualifier, row #${i + 1}")
                     } else {
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParseXLSXTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParseXLSXTest.groovy
index fd25a44..39ae776 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParseXLSXTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/ParseXLSXTest.groovy
@@ -43,6 +43,39 @@ class ParseXLSXTest extends LocalizationPluginTestBase {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testXlsxFileWithDefaults() {
+        def name = 'valid_with_defaults.xlsx'
+
+        ConfigExtension config = new ConfigExtension()
+        config.xlsFileURI = getClass().getResource(name).toString()
+        config.handleEmptyTranslationsAsDefault = true
+        config.allowEmptyTranslations = true
+        config.skipInvalidName = true
+        config.skipDuplicatedName = true
+        config.defaultColumnName = 'EN'
+        config.nameColumnName = 'Android'
+        config.ignorableColumns.add('WinPhone')
+        config.ignorableColumns.add('iOS')
+        config.ignorableColumns.add('END')
+        config.defaultLocaleQualifier = 'en'
+        config.useAllSheets = true
+
+        def resDir = parseTestFile(config)
+
+        resDir.traverse(type: FileType.FILES) {
+            def filePath = it.path.replace(resDir.path, '')
+            def expectedFileURL = getClass().getResource("parsed_valid_xlsx/$filePath")
+            def diff = DiffBuilder.compare(Input.fromFile(it))
+                    .withTest(Input.fromURL(expectedFileURL))
+                    .ignoreWhitespace()
+                    .withNodeMatcher(new DefaultNodeMatcher(ElementSelectors.byNameAndAllAttributes))
+                    .checkForSimilar()
+                    .build()
+            assertThat(diff.hasDifferences()).as('file: %s is different than expected %s', filePath, diff.toString()).isFalse()
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testXlsxURI() {
         ConfigExtension config = new ConfigExtension()
diff --git a/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values-pl/main_with_defaults.xml b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values-pl/main_with_defaults.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58cd4e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values-pl/main_with_defaults.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<resources>
+    <string name="file">Plik</string><!-- file label -->
+    <plurals name="cow">
+        <item quantity="other">krowy</item><!-- comment -->
+        <item quantity="one">krowa</item>
+    </plurals>
+</resources>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values/main_with_defaults.xml b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values/main_with_defaults.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a420292
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/parsed_valid_xlsx/values/main_with_defaults.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<resources xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" tools:locale="en">
+    <string name="app" translatable="false">Application</string>
+    <string name="file">File</string><!-- file label -->
+    <string name="percent" translatable="false" formatted="false">%d %s</string>
+    <string name="empty"></string>
+    <plurals name="cow">
+        <item quantity="other">cows</item><!-- comment -->
+        <item quantity="one">cow</item>
+    </plurals>
+    <string-array name="days" translatable="false">
+        <item>monday</item>
+        <item>tuesday</item>
+        <item>wednesday</item>
+    </string-array>
+</resources>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/valid_with_defaults.xlsx b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/valid_with_defaults.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9247f8f
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/test/resources/pl/droidsonroids/gradle/localization/valid_with_defaults.xlsx differ