diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/FormType.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/FormType.php
index 9dfa8af2717c7..cdc011be9ed28 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/FormType.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/FormType.php
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
             ->setByReference($options['by_reference'])
             ->setVirtual($options['virtual'])
             ->setCompound($options['compound'])
+            ->setIgnoreMissing($options['ignore_missing'])
             ->setData(isset($options['data']) ? $options['data'] : null)
             ->setDataLocked(isset($options['data']))
             ->setDataMapper($options['compound'] ? new PropertyPathMapper() : null)
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ public function buildView(FormView $view, FormInterface $form, array $options)
             'attr'                => $options['attr'],
             'label_attr'          => $options['label_attr'],
             'compound'            => $form->getConfig()->getCompound(),
+            'ignore_missing'      => $form->getConfig()->getIgnoreMissing(),
             'block_prefixes'      => $blockPrefixes,
             'unique_block_prefix' => $uniqueBlockPrefix,
             'translation_domain'  => $translationDomain,
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ public function setDefaultOptions(OptionsResolverInterface $resolver)
             'label_attr'         => array(),
             'virtual'            => false,
             'compound'           => true,
+            'ignore_missing'     => null,
             'translation_domain' => null,
         ));
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Form.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Form.php
index ec3d5393a8382..979d7dc9a80ab 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Form.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Form.php
@@ -180,6 +180,15 @@ public function getName()
         return $this->config->getName();
     }
 
+    public function getIgnoreMissing()
+    {
+        if ($this->parent && null === $this->config->getIgnoreMissing()) {
+            return $this->parent->getIgnoreMissing();
+        }
+
+        return $this->config->getIgnoreMissing();
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
@@ -509,6 +518,8 @@ public function bind($submittedData)
         // and radio buttons with empty values.
         if (is_scalar($submittedData)) {
             $submittedData = (string) $submittedData;
+        } elseif ($this->getIgnoreMissing() && null === $submittedData) {
+            $submittedData = $this->getViewData();
         }
 
         // Initialize errors in the very beginning so that we don't lose any
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilder.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilder.php
index 9a21df464212d..8ddf84b08829f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilder.php
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ class FormConfigBuilder implements FormConfigBuilderInterface
      */
     private $compound = false;
 
+    /**
+     * @var Boolean
+     */
+    private $ignoreMissing;
+
     /**
      * @var ResolvedFormTypeInterface
      */
@@ -445,6 +450,14 @@ public function getCompound()
         return $this->compound;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function getIgnoreMissing()
+    {
+        return $this->ignoreMissing;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
@@ -787,6 +800,20 @@ public function setCompound($compound)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function setIgnoreMissing($ignoreMissing)
+    {
+        if ($this->locked) {
+            throw new FormException('The config builder cannot be modified anymore.');
+        }
+
+        $this->ignoreMissing = $ignoreMissing;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilderInterface.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilderInterface.php
index 35eff8790bd29..bccf58ec51158 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilderInterface.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigBuilderInterface.php
@@ -210,6 +210,17 @@ public function setVirtual($virtual);
      */
     public function setCompound($compound);
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the form should support partial binding.
+     *
+     * @param  Boolean $ignoreMissing Whether the form should support partial binding.
+     *
+     * @return self The configuration object.
+     *
+     * @see FormConfigInterface::getPartial()
+     */
+    public function setIgnoreMissing($ignoreMissing);
+
     /**
      * Set the types.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigInterface.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigInterface.php
index 364d6a60b0a09..d89074df5607f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigInterface.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/FormConfigInterface.php
@@ -76,6 +76,16 @@ public function getVirtual();
      */
     public function getCompound();
 
+    /**
+     * Returns whether the form explicitly supports missing children
+     *
+     * When enabled, missing child data uses pre-existing model data
+     * rather than defaulting to `null`.
+     *
+     * @return null|Boolean Whether the form explicitly supports missing children
+     */
+    public function getIgnoreMissing();
+
     /**
      * Returns the form types used to construct the form.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/SimpleFormTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/SimpleFormTest.php
index 3a590b7509af3..cfc1c3540e5b2 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/SimpleFormTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/SimpleFormTest.php
@@ -89,6 +89,63 @@ public function testBindIsIgnoredIfDisabled()
         $this->assertTrue($form->isBound());
     }
 
+    public function testBindUsesViewDataIfNullAndIgnoreMissing()
+    {
+        $form = $this->getBuilder('name', new EventDispatcher())
+            ->setIgnoreMissing(true)
+            ->addViewTransformer(new FixedDataTransformer(array(
+                ''      => '',
+                'norm'  => 'client',
+            )))
+            ->addModelTransformer(new FixedDataTransformer(array(
+                ''      => '',
+                'app'   => 'norm',
+            )))
+            ->getForm()
+        ;
+
+        $form->setData('app');
+
+        $form->bind(null);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('app',      $form->getData());
+        $this->assertEquals('norm',     $form->getNormData());
+        $this->assertEquals('client',   $form->getClientData());
+    }
+
+    public function testIgnoreMissingUsesParentSettingByDefault()
+    {
+        $parent = $this->getBuilder()->setIgnoreMissing(true)->getForm();
+        $child = $this->getBuilder()->getForm();
+
+        $child->setParent($parent);
+
+        $this->assertTrue($child->getIgnoreMissing());
+    }
+
+    public function testIgnoreMissingDefaultsToNull()
+    {
+        $form = $this->getBuilder()->getForm();
+        $this->assertNull($form->getIgnoreMissing());
+    }
+
+    public function testIgnoreMissingUsesSetValue()
+    {
+        $parent = $this->getBuilder()->setIgnoreMissing(false)->getForm();
+        $child  = $this->getBuilder()->setIgnoreMissing(true)->getForm();
+
+        $child->setParent($parent);
+
+        $this->assertTrue($child->getIgnoreMissing());
+
+        $parent = $this->getBuilder()->setIgnoreMissing(true)->getForm();
+        $child  = $this->getBuilder()->setIgnoreMissing(false)->getForm();
+
+        $child->setParent($parent);
+
+        $this->assertFalse($child->getIgnoreMissing());
+    }
+
     public function testNeverRequiredIfParentNotRequired()
     {
         $parent = $this->getBuilder()->setRequired(false)->getForm();