diff --git a/conf/master b/conf/master
index 55e1983ba87..7bc9e34c0ef 100644
--- a/conf/master
+++ b/conf/master
@@ -670,6 +670,11 @@ CLI option, only sets this to a single file for all salt commands.
 # Recursively merge lists by aggregating them instead of replacing them.
 #pillar_merge_lists: False
 
+# Set this option to 'True' to force a 'KeyError' to be raised whenever an
+# attempt to retrieve a named value from pillar fails. When this option is set
+# to 'False', the failed attempt returns an empty string. Default is 'False'.
+#pillar_raise_on_missing: False
+
 # Git External Pillar (git_pillar) Configuration Options
 #
 # Specify the provider to be used for git_pillar. Must be either pygit2 or
diff --git a/conf/minion b/conf/minion
index 72d8b70e4cd..e853cfe9b9f 100644
--- a/conf/minion
+++ b/conf/minion
@@ -418,6 +418,11 @@
 # as the environment setting, but for pillar instead of states.
 #pillarenv: None
 #
+# Set this option to 'True' to force a 'KeyError' to be raised whenever an
+# attempt to retrieve a named value from pillar fails. When this option is set
+# to 'False', the failed attempt returns an empty string. Default is 'False'.
+#pillar_raise_on_missing: False
+#
 # If using the local file directory, then the state top file name needs to be
 # defined, by default this is top.sls.
 #state_top: top.sls
diff --git a/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst b/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
index d49156ae4a2..d428fc32679 100644
--- a/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
+++ b/doc/ref/configuration/master.rst
@@ -2295,6 +2295,19 @@ ext_pillar.
 
     ext_pillar_first: False
 
+.. conf_master:: pillar_raise_on_missing
+
+``pillar_raise_on_missing``
+---------------------------
+
+.. versionadded:: 2015.5.0
+
+Default: ``False``
+
+Set this option to ``True`` to force a ``KeyError`` to be raised whenever an
+attempt to retrieve a named value from pillar fails. When this option is set
+to ``False``, the failed attempt returns an empty string.
+
 .. _git-pillar-config-opts:
 
 Git External Pillar (git_pillar) Configuration Options
diff --git a/doc/ref/configuration/minion.rst b/doc/ref/configuration/minion.rst
index b45ea696ac3..54c10a58ed5 100644
--- a/doc/ref/configuration/minion.rst
+++ b/doc/ref/configuration/minion.rst
@@ -1271,6 +1271,19 @@ the environment setting, but for pillar instead of states.
 
     pillarenv: None
 
+.. conf_minion:: pillar_raise_on_missing
+
+``pillar_raise_on_missing``
+---------------------------
+
+.. versionadded:: 2015.5.0
+
+Default: ``False``
+
+Set this option to ``True`` to force a ``KeyError`` to be raised whenever an
+attempt to retrieve a named value from pillar fails. When this option is set
+to ``False``, the failed attempt returns an empty string.
+
 .. conf_minion:: file_recv_max_size
 
 ``file_recv_max_size``