diff --git a/src/commands/operation.rs b/src/commands/operation.rs
index d9e6b0cea..655530b88 100644
--- a/src/commands/operation.rs
+++ b/src/commands/operation.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ fn cmd_op_log(
             }
             Ok(())
         }
+
+        fn has_content(&self, _: &Operation) -> bool {
+            true
+        }
     }
     let template = OpTemplate {
         relative_timestamps: command.settings().relative_timestamps(),
diff --git a/src/templater.rs b/src/templater.rs
index 7668e536f..2c2ca7097 100644
--- a/src/templater.rs
+++ b/src/templater.rs
@@ -25,12 +25,18 @@ use crate::time_util;
 
 pub trait Template<C> {
     fn format(&self, context: &C, formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()>;
+    /// Returns true if `format()` will generate output other than labels.
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool;
 }
 
 impl<C, T: Template<C> + ?Sized> Template<C> for Box<T> {
     fn format(&self, context: &C, formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         <T as Template<C>>::format(self, context, formatter)
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool {
+        <T as Template<C>>::has_content(self, context)
+    }
 }
 
 impl Template<()> for Signature {
@@ -41,24 +47,40 @@ impl Template<()> for Signature {
         write!(formatter, ">")?;
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
 }
 
 impl Template<()> for String {
     fn format(&self, _: &(), formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         formatter.write_str(self)
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        !self.is_empty()
+    }
 }
 
 impl Template<()> for Timestamp {
     fn format(&self, _: &(), formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         formatter.write_str(&time_util::format_absolute_timestamp(self))
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
 }
 
 impl Template<()> for bool {
     fn format(&self, _: &(), formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         formatter.write_str(if *self { "true" } else { "false" })
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct LabelTemplate<T, L> {
@@ -92,6 +114,10 @@ where
         }
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool {
+        self.content.has_content(context)
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct ListTemplate<T>(pub Vec<T>);
@@ -103,6 +129,10 @@ impl<C, T: Template<C>> Template<C> for ListTemplate<T> {
         }
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool {
+        self.0.iter().any(|template| template.has_content(context))
+    }
 }
 
 pub trait TemplateProperty<C> {
@@ -126,6 +156,10 @@ impl<C, O: Template<()>> Template<C> for Literal<O> {
     fn format(&self, _context: &C, formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         self.0.format(&(), formatter)
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _context: &C) -> bool {
+        self.0.has_content(&())
+    }
 }
 
 impl<C, O: Clone> TemplateProperty<C> for Literal<O> {
@@ -171,6 +205,11 @@ where
         let template = self.property.extract(context);
         template.format(&(), formatter)
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool {
+        let template = self.property.extract(context);
+        template.has_content(&())
+    }
 }
 
 /// Adapter to turn template back to string property.
@@ -367,6 +406,16 @@ where
         }
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, context: &C) -> bool {
+        if self.condition.extract(context) {
+            self.true_template.has_content(context)
+        } else if let Some(false_template) = &self.false_template {
+            false_template.has_content(context)
+        } else {
+            false
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // TODO: If needed, add a ContextualTemplateFunction where the function also
@@ -459,6 +508,10 @@ impl Template<()> for CommitOrChangeId<'_> {
     fn format(&self, _: &(), formatter: &mut dyn Formatter) -> io::Result<()> {
         formatter.write_str(&self.hex())
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        !self.id_bytes.is_empty()
+    }
 }
 
 /// This function supports short `total_len` by ensuring that the entire
@@ -517,4 +570,8 @@ impl Template<()> for IdWithHighlightedPrefix {
         formatter.with_label("prefix", |fmt| fmt.write_str(&self.prefix))?;
         formatter.with_label("rest", |fmt| fmt.write_str(&self.rest))
     }
+
+    fn has_content(&self, _: &()) -> bool {
+        !self.prefix.is_empty() || !self.rest.is_empty()
+    }
 }