diff --git a/autoload/airline/builder.vim b/autoload/airline/builder.vim
index 65a1f699..18d81e49 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/builder.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/builder.vim
@@ -40,12 +40,28 @@ function! s:prototype.build()
   let i = 0
   let length = len(self._sections)
   let split = 0
+  let is_empty = 0
+  let prev_group = ''
 
   while i < length
     let section = self._sections[i]
     let group = section[0]
     let contents = section[1]
+    let pgroup = prev_group
     let prev_group = s:get_prev_group(self._sections, i)
+    if is_empty
+      let prev_group = pgroup
+    endif
+    let is_empty = s:section_is_empty(self, contents)
+
+    if is_empty
+      " need to fix highlighting groups, since we
+      " have skipped a section, we actually need
+      " the previous previous group and so the 
+      " seperator goes from the previous previous group
+      " to the current group
+      let pgroup = group
+    endif
 
     if group == ''
       let line .= contents
@@ -57,12 +73,16 @@ function! s:prototype.build()
       if prev_group == ''
         let line .= '%#'.group.'#'
       elseif split
-        let line .= s:get_transitioned_seperator(self, prev_group, group, side)
+        if !is_empty
+          let line .= s:get_transitioned_seperator(self, prev_group, group, side)
+        endif
         let split = 0
       else
-        let line .= s:get_seperator(self, prev_group, group, side)
+        if !is_empty
+          let line .= s:get_seperator(self, prev_group, group, side)
+        endif
       endif
-      let line .= s:get_accented_line(self, group, contents)
+      let line .= is_empty ? '' : s:get_accented_line(self, group, contents)
     endif
 
     let i = i + 1
@@ -121,6 +141,43 @@ function! s:get_accented_line(self, group, contents)
   return line
 endfunction
 
+function! s:section_is_empty(self, content)
+  let start=1
+
+  " do not check for inactive windows
+  if a:self._context.active == 0
+    return 0
+  endif
+
+  " only check, if airline#skip_empty_sections == 1
+  if get(g:, 'airline_skip_empty_sections', 0) == 0
+    return 0
+  endif
+  " assume accents sections to be never empty
+  " (avoides, that on startup the mode message becomes empty)
+  if match(a:content, '%#__accent_[^#]*#.*__restore__#') > -1
+    return 0
+  endif
+  let list=matchlist(a:content, '%{\zs.\{-}\ze}', 1, start)
+  if empty(list)
+    return 0 " no function in statusline text
+  endif
+  while len(list) > 0
+    let expr = list[0]
+    try
+      " catch all exceptions, just in case
+      if !empty(eval(expr))
+        return 0
+      endif
+    catch
+      return 0
+    endtry
+    let start += 1
+    let list=matchlist(a:content, '%{\zs.\{-}\ze}', 1, start)
+  endw
+  return 1
+endfunction
+
 function! airline#builder#new(context)
   let builder = copy(s:prototype)
   let builder._context = a:context
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index 41949929..7e13d472 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -136,6 +136,13 @@ function! airline#extensions#whitespace#init(...)
   unlet! b:airline_whitespace_check
   augroup airline_whitespace
     autocmd!
-    autocmd CursorHold,BufWritePost * unlet! b:airline_whitespace_check
+    autocmd CursorHold,BufWritePost * call <sid>ws_refresh()
   augroup END
 endfunction
+
+function! s:ws_refresh()
+  unlet! b:airline_whitespace_check
+  if get(g:, 'airline_skip_empty_sections', 0)
+    exe ':AirlineRefresh'
+  endif
+endfunction
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 40bb2fc0..0053504c 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ values):
 * disable the Airline customization for selective windows (this is a
   window-local variable so you can disable it for only some windows) >
   let w:airline_disabled = 1
+
+* Do not draw separators for empty sections (only for the active window)
+ >
+  let g:airline_skip_empty_sections = 1
 <
 
 ==============================================================================