diff --git a/packages/oui-datagrid/README.md b/packages/oui-datagrid/README.md
index 319b04c0..8c605725 100644
--- a/packages/oui-datagrid/README.md
+++ b/packages/oui-datagrid/README.md
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ Clicked row action 1: <span ng-if="$ctrl.action1Row">{{$ctrl.action1Row.lastName
 ```html:preview
 <oui-datagrid
   rows="$ctrl.emptyList"
+  empty-placeholder="There's no bananas here, sorry :("
   page-size="5">
   <oui-column title="'First name'" property="firstName" sortable="asc"></oui-column>
   <oui-column title="'Last name'" property="lastName" sortable></oui-column>
@@ -687,6 +688,7 @@ call `rows-loader` and then a `row-loader` call for each line.
 | `rows`                            | array     | <?        | yes                 | n/a              | n/a          | rows to show
 | `rows-loader`                     | function  | &?        | yes                 | n/a              | n/a          | gets all rows (returns a promise with all rows)
 | `row-loader`                      | function  | &?        | yes                 | n/a              | n/a          | gets row details (returns a promise with details)
+| `empty-placeholder`               | string    | @?        | yes                 | n/a              | n/a          | custom placeholder text when there is no data
 | `customizable`                    | boolean   | <?        | no                  | `true`, `false`  | `false`      | if the datagrid is customizable
 | `selectable-rows`                 | boolean   | <?        | no                  | `true`, `false`  | `false`      | if rows can be selected
 | `columns-parameters`              | array     | <?        | no                  | n/a              | `undefined`  | columns parameters (see below)
diff --git a/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.directive.js b/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.directive.js
index 1e4f200b..e55dba32 100644
--- a/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.directive.js
+++ b/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.directive.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default () => {
             rows: "<?",
             rowsLoader: "&?",
             rowLoader: "&?",
+            emptyPlaceholder: "@?",
             onColumnsParametersChange: "&"
         },
         compile: elm => {
diff --git a/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.html b/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.html
index ea03452a..3aa49817 100644
--- a/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.html
+++ b/packages/oui-datagrid/src/datagrid.html
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
                                 ng-attr-colspan="{{ $ctrl.columns.length }}"
                                 >
                                 <span ng-if="!$ctrl.loading && !$ctrl.firstLoading"
-                                    ng-bind="$ctrl.config.translations.emptyPlaceholder"></span>
+                                      ng-bind="::$ctrl.emptyPlaceholder || $ctrl.config.translations.emptyPlaceholder"></span>
                                 <oui-spinner ng-if="$ctrl.loading || $ctrl.firstLoading"
                                     size="s"></oui-spinner>
                             </td>