diff --git a/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.cpp b/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.cpp
index cd864fb75..aa72b1385 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.cpp
@@ -36,38 +36,45 @@
 
 #include "dialog_text_import.h"
 
+#include "options.h"
+#include "validators.h"
+
+#include <wx/checkbox.h>
 #include <wx/sizer.h>
 #include <wx/stattext.h>
 #include <wx/textctrl.h>
-
-#include "compat.h"
-#include "options.h"
+#include <wx/valgen.h>
 
 DialogTextImport::DialogTextImport()
 : wxDialog(nullptr , -1, _("Text import options"))
+, seperator(OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Actor Separator")->GetString())
+, comment(OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Comment Starter")->GetString())
+, include_blank(OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Include Blank")->GetBool())
 {
-	// Main controls
-	wxFlexGridSizer *fg = new wxFlexGridSizer(2, 5, 5);
-	wxBoxSizer *main_sizer = new wxBoxSizer(wxVERTICAL);
-	edit_separator = new wxTextCtrl(this, -1, to_wx(OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Actor Separator")->GetString()));
-	edit_comment = new wxTextCtrl(this, -1, to_wx(OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Comment Starter")->GetString()));
+	auto make_text_ctrl = [=](std::string *var) {
+		return new wxTextCtrl(this, -1, "", wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize, 0, StringBinder(var));
+	};
 
-	// Dialog layout
+	auto fg = new wxFlexGridSizer(2, 5, 5);
 	fg->Add(new wxStaticText(this, -1, _("Actor separator:")), 0, wxALIGN_CENTRE_VERTICAL);
-	fg->Add(edit_separator, 0, wxEXPAND);
+	fg->Add(make_text_ctrl(&seperator), 0, wxEXPAND);
 	fg->Add(new wxStaticText(this, -1, _("Comment starter:")), 0, wxALIGN_CENTRE_VERTICAL);
-	fg->Add(edit_comment, 0, wxEXPAND);
+	fg->Add(make_text_ctrl(&comment), 0, wxEXPAND);
 
+	auto main_sizer = new wxBoxSizer(wxVERTICAL);
 	main_sizer->Add(fg, 1, wxALL|wxEXPAND, 5);
+	main_sizer->Add(new wxCheckBox(this, -1, _("Include blank lines"), wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize, 0, wxGenericValidator(&include_blank)), 0, wxLEFT|wxRIGHT|wxALIGN_RIGHT, 5);
 	main_sizer->Add(CreateSeparatedButtonSizer(wxOK|wxCANCEL), 0, wxALL|wxEXPAND, 5);
 	SetSizerAndFit(main_sizer);
 
-	Bind(wxEVT_COMMAND_BUTTON_CLICKED, &DialogTextImport::OnOK, this, wxID_OK);
-}
 
-void DialogTextImport::OnOK(wxCommandEvent &) {
-	OPT_SET("Tool/Import/Text/Actor Separator")->SetString(from_wx(edit_separator->GetValue()));
-	OPT_SET("Tool/Import/Text/Comment Starter")->SetString(from_wx(edit_comment->GetValue()));
+	Bind(wxEVT_COMMAND_BUTTON_CLICKED, [=](wxCommandEvent&) {
+		TransferDataFromWindow();
 
-	EndModal(wxID_OK);
+		OPT_SET("Tool/Import/Text/Actor Separator")->SetString(seperator);
+		OPT_SET("Tool/Import/Text/Comment Starter")->SetString(comment);
+		OPT_SET("Tool/Import/Text/Include Blank")->SetBool(include_blank);
+
+		EndModal(wxID_OK);
+	}, wxID_OK);
 }
diff --git a/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.h b/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.h
index a69446607..8588d2119 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/dialog_text_import.h
@@ -34,18 +34,15 @@
 
 #include <wx/dialog.h>
 
-class wxTextCtrl;
-
 /// @class DialogTextImport
 /// @brief Plain text import separator character selection dialog
 ///
 /// A simple dialog to let the user select the format of a plain text file
 /// being imported into Aegisub
 class DialogTextImport : public wxDialog {
-	wxTextCtrl *edit_separator;
-	wxTextCtrl *edit_comment;
-
-	void OnOK(wxCommandEvent &);
+	std::string seperator;
+	std::string comment;
+	bool include_blank;
 
 public:
 	DialogTextImport();
diff --git a/aegisub/src/libresrc/default_config.json b/aegisub/src/libresrc/default_config.json
index b87945eec..81e54992e 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/libresrc/default_config.json
+++ b/aegisub/src/libresrc/default_config.json
@@ -435,7 +435,8 @@
 		"Import" : {
 			"Text" : {
 				"Actor Separator" : ":",
-				"Comment Starter" : "#"
+				"Comment Starter" : "#",
+				"Include Blank" : false
 			}
 		},
 		"Kanji Timer" : {
diff --git a/aegisub/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json b/aegisub/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
index 793d61162..5d79106f8 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
+++ b/aegisub/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
@@ -435,7 +435,8 @@
 		"Import" : {
 			"Text" : {
 				"Actor Separator" : ":",
-				"Comment Starter" : "#"
+				"Comment Starter" : "#",
+				"Include Blank" : false
 			}
 		},
 		"Kanji Timer" : {
diff --git a/aegisub/src/subtitle_format_txt.cpp b/aegisub/src/subtitle_format_txt.cpp
index 69bed006d..d246f093b 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/subtitle_format_txt.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/subtitle_format_txt.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ void TXTSubtitleFormat::ReadFile(AssFile *target, agi::fs::path const& filename,
 	// Parse file
 	while (file.HasMoreLines()) {
 		std::string value = file.ReadLineFromFile();
-		if(value.empty()) continue;
+		if (value.empty() && !OPT_GET("Tool/Import/Text/Include Blank")->GetBool()) continue;
 
 		// Check if this isn't a timecodes file
 		if (boost::starts_with(value, "# timecode"))
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ void TXTSubtitleFormat::ReadFile(AssFile *target, agi::fs::path const& filename,
 		}
 
 		// Read actor data
-		if (!isComment && !separator.empty()) {
+		if (!isComment && !separator.empty() && !value.empty()) {
 			if (value[0] != ' ' && value[0] != '\t') {
 				size_t pos = value.find(separator);
 				if (pos != std::string::npos) {