Index: views/handlers/views_handler_area_result.inc
===================================================================
--- views/handlers/views_handler_area_result.inc	(revision 2)
+++ views/handlers/views_handler_area_result.inc	(working copy)
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
       $replacements["@$item"] = ${$item};
     }
     // Send the output.
-    if (!empty($total)) {
+    if ($this->options['empty'] || !empty($total)) {
       $output .= filter_xss_admin(str_replace(array_keys($replacements), array_values($replacements), $format));
     }
     return $output;