diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/HelperOptionsBuilder.scala b/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/HelperOptionsBuilder.scala
index 16cb7e0..ebf28c5 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/HelperOptionsBuilder.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/HelperOptionsBuilder.scala
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ trait HelperOptions[T] {
    */
   def inverse(binding: Binding[T], extraData: Map[String, Binding[T]]): String
 
+  def hasInverse: Boolean
+
   /**
    * Look up a path in the the current context. The one in which the helper was called.
    * @param path The path to lookup in the context. e.g., ../name
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ class HelperOptionsBuilder[T](context: Context[T],
       }
     }
 
+    val hasInverse = inverseNode.isDefined
+
     def lookup(path: String): Binding[T] = {
       HandlebarsGrammar.path(path).map { identifier =>
         context.lookup(identifier, Seq()).binding
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/IfHelper.scala b/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/IfHelper.scala
index 14e09ee..c8df30e 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/IfHelper.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/gilt/handlebars/scala/helper/IfHelper.scala
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class IfHelper[T] extends Helper[T] with Loggable {
     if (options.argument(0).isTruthy)
       options.visit(binding)
     else
-      options.inverse(binding)
+      if (options.hasInverse) options.inverse(binding)
+      else ""
   }
 }