diff --git a/include/vkd3d_shader.h b/include/vkd3d_shader.h
index 9ac5806c..5cc36e18 100644
--- a/include/vkd3d_shader.h
+++ b/include/vkd3d_shader.h
@@ -322,6 +322,14 @@ enum vkd3d_shader_compile_option_name
      * \since 1.12
      */
     VKD3D_SHADER_COMPILE_OPTION_WARN_IMPLICIT_TRUNCATION = 0x0000000c,
+    /**
+     * If \a value is nonzero, empty constant buffers descriptions are
+     * written out in the output effect binary. This option applies only
+     * to fx_4_0 and fx_4_1 profiles and is otherwise ignored.
+     *
+     * \since 1.12
+     */
+    VKD3D_SHADER_COMPILE_OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS_IN_EFFECTS = 0x0000000d,
 
     VKD3D_FORCE_32_BIT_ENUM(VKD3D_SHADER_COMPILE_OPTION_NAME),
 };
diff --git a/libs/vkd3d-shader/fx.c b/libs/vkd3d-shader/fx.c
index 5fcd3eac..466908cd 100644
--- a/libs/vkd3d-shader/fx.c
+++ b/libs/vkd3d-shader/fx.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ struct fx_write_context
     int status;
 
     bool child_effect;
+    bool include_empty_buffers;
 
     const struct fx_write_context_ops *ops;
 };
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ static void fx_write_context_init(struct hlsl_ctx *ctx, const struct fx_write_co
     list_init(&fx->types);
 
     fx->child_effect = fx->ops->are_child_effects_supported && ctx->child_effect;
+    fx->include_empty_buffers = version == 4 && ctx->include_empty_buffers;
 
     hlsl_block_init(&block);
     hlsl_prepend_global_uniform_copy(fx->ctx, &block);
@@ -1065,7 +1067,9 @@ static void write_buffers(struct fx_write_context *fx)
 
     LIST_FOR_EACH_ENTRY(buffer, &fx->ctx->buffers, struct hlsl_buffer, entry)
     {
-        if (!buffer->size)
+        if (!buffer->size && !fx->include_empty_buffers)
+            continue;
+        if (!strcmp(buffer->name, "$Params"))
             continue;
 
         write_fx_4_buffer(buffer, fx);
diff --git a/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.c b/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.c
index 17458963..5638a03a 100644
--- a/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.c
+++ b/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.c
@@ -3622,6 +3622,10 @@ static bool hlsl_ctx_init(struct hlsl_ctx *ctx, const struct vkd3d_shader_compil
                 ctx->warn_implicit_truncation = option->value;
                 break;
 
+            case VKD3D_SHADER_COMPILE_OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS_IN_EFFECTS:
+                ctx->include_empty_buffers = option->value;
+                break;
+
             default:
                 break;
         }
diff --git a/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.h b/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.h
index 4f9f04c7..16ddbf3c 100644
--- a/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.h
+++ b/libs/vkd3d-shader/hlsl.h
@@ -927,6 +927,7 @@ struct hlsl_ctx
 
     bool semantic_compat_mapping;
     bool child_effect;
+    bool include_empty_buffers;
     bool warn_implicit_truncation;
 };
 
diff --git a/programs/vkd3d-compiler/main.c b/programs/vkd3d-compiler/main.c
index 1e05c093..298db2b4 100644
--- a/programs/vkd3d-compiler/main.c
+++ b/programs/vkd3d-compiler/main.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ enum
     OPTION_CHILD_EFFECT,
     OPTION_ENTRY,
     OPTION_FRAGMENT_COORDINATE_ORIGIN,
+    OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS,
     OPTION_MATRIX_STORAGE_ORDER,
     OPTION_OUTPUT,
     OPTION_PRINT_SOURCE_TYPES,
@@ -202,6 +203,9 @@ static void print_usage(const char *program_name)
         "                        targets. Valid values are 'upper-left' (default) and\n"
         "                        'lower-left'. The only value supported by Vulkan\n"
         "                        environments is 'upper-left'.\n"
+        "  --fx-include-empty-buffers\n"
+        "                        Write empty constant buffers descriptions. This option\n"
+        "                        is only meaningful for fx_4_0 and fx_4_1 profiles.\n"
         "  --matrix-storage-order=<order>\n"
         "                        Specify the default matrix storage order. Valid values\n"
         "                        are 'column' (default) and 'row'.\n"
@@ -485,6 +489,7 @@ static bool parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv, struct options *options)
         {"child-effect",               no_argument,       NULL, OPTION_CHILD_EFFECT},
         {"entry",                      required_argument, NULL, OPTION_ENTRY},
         {"fragment-coordinate-origin", required_argument, NULL, OPTION_FRAGMENT_COORDINATE_ORIGIN},
+        {"fx-include-empty-buffers",   no_argument,       NULL, OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS},
         {"matrix-storage-order",       required_argument, NULL, OPTION_MATRIX_STORAGE_ORDER},
         {"output",                     required_argument, NULL, OPTION_OUTPUT},
         {"formatting",                 required_argument, NULL, OPTION_TEXT_FORMATTING},
@@ -559,6 +564,10 @@ static bool parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv, struct options *options)
                 options->output_filename = optarg;
                 break;
 
+            case OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS:
+                add_compile_option(options, VKD3D_SHADER_COMPILE_OPTION_INCLUDE_EMPTY_BUFFERS_IN_EFFECTS, 1);
+                break;
+
             case OPTION_MATRIX_STORAGE_ORDER:
                 if (!parse_matrix_storage_order(&pack_matrix_order, optarg))
                 {