diff --git a/addressfield.module b/addressfield.module
index c010514..630f369 100644
--- a/addressfield.module
+++ b/addressfield.module
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ function addressfield_field_info() {
 /**
  * Returns an array of default values for the addressfield form elements.
  */
-function addressfield_default_values($available_countries = NULL) {
+function addressfield_default_values($available_countries = NULL, $optional_country = FALSE) {
   if (!isset($available_countries)) {
     $available_countries = _addressfield_country_options_list();
   }
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ function addressfield_default_values($available_countries = NULL) {
   }
 
   return array(
-    'country' => $default_country,
+    'country' => ($optional_country ? '' : $default_country),
     'name_line' => '',
     'first_name' => '',
     'last_name' => '',
@@ -391,9 +391,15 @@ function addressfield_default_values($available_countries = NULL) {
  * Implements hook_field_is_empty().
  */
 function addressfield_field_is_empty($item, $field) {
-  // Every address field must have at least a country value or it is considered
-  // empty, even if it has name information.
-  return empty($item['country']);
+  $empty_field = TRUE;
+  $ignore_item_keys = array('element_key', '_weight');
+  foreach ($item as $field_name => $field_value) {
+    if (in_array($field_name, $ignore_item_keys)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    $empty_field &= empty($field_value);
+  }
+  return $empty_field;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -500,7 +506,7 @@ function addressfield_field_widget_form(&$form, &$form_state, $field, $instance,
     // Use the value from the form_state if available.
     $address = $form_state['addressfield'][$element_key];
   }
-  elseif (!empty($items[$delta]['country'])) {
+  elseif (count($items) && isset($items[$delta]) && !addressfield_field_is_empty($items[$delta], NULL)) {
     // Else use the saved value for the field.
     $address = $items[$delta];
   }
@@ -517,7 +523,7 @@ function addressfield_field_widget_form(&$form, &$form_state, $field, $instance,
   }
 
   // Merge in default values to provide a value for every expected array key.
-  $address += addressfield_default_values($countries);
+  $address += addressfield_default_values($countries, isset($settings['format_handlers']['optional-country']));
 
   // Add the form elements for the standard widget, which includes a country
   // select list at the top that reloads the available address elements when the
@@ -564,6 +570,22 @@ function addressfield_standard_country_validate($element, &$form_state) {
   // Store the present address values in the form state for retrieval by the
   // widget form regardless of where the widget sits in the $form array.
   $form_state['addressfield'][$address['element_key']] = array_diff_key($address, array('element_key' => ''));
+
+  // On the field edit form, we check the state of "Make country optional".
+  // If checked, we always delete the default country on the field edit form.
+  // It finds the name, the langcode and the delta of the field,
+  // and clears the country.
+  if ($form_state['complete form']['#form_id'] == 'field_ui_field_edit_form') {
+    if (!empty($form_state['values']['instance']['widget']['settings']['format_handlers']['optional-country'])) {
+      foreach ($form_state['field'] as $field_name => $field) {
+        foreach ($form_state['values'][$field_name] as $langcode => $langvalue) {
+          foreach ($form_state['values'][$field_name][$langcode] as $delta => $value) {
+            $form_state['values'][$field_name][$langcode][$delta]['country'] = '';
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/plugins/format/optional-country.inc b/plugins/format/optional-country.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8087600
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/format/optional-country.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Make the country as an optional value.
+ * If this plugin is active, then the user can submit a really empty address
+ * without any data storing into the database. The default value of the country
+ * is also set to empty instead of site_default_country.
+ */
+
+$plugin = array(
+  'title' => t('Make country optional'),
+  'format callback' => 'addressfield_format_address_optional_country',
+  'type' => 'address',
+  'weight' => -80,
+);
+
+/**
+ * Format callback.
+ *
+ * @see CALLBACK_addressfield_format_callback()
+ */
+function addressfield_format_address_optional_country(&$format, &$address, $context = array()) {
+  $format['country']['#required'] = FALSE;
+  $format['country']['#empty_value'] = '';
+}