diff --git a/addons/product/product.py b/addons/product/product.py
index c4049fb4b8d..24b0a9965fc 100644
--- a/addons/product/product.py
+++ b/addons/product/product.py
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ class product_template(osv.osv):
             help="Small-sized image of the product. It is automatically "\
                  "resized as a 64x64px image, with aspect ratio preserved. "\
                  "Use this field anywhere a small image is required."),
-        'product_variant_ids': fields.one2many('product.product', 'product_tmpl_id', 'Product Variants', domain = [('variants','!=','')], required=True),
+        'product_variant_ids': fields.one2many('product.product', 'product_tmpl_id', 'Product Variants', required=True),
     }
 
     def _get_uom_id(self, cr, uid, *args):
diff --git a/addons/product/product_view.xml b/addons/product/product_view.xml
index c2d6e49c014..ac1646d6e7e 100644
--- a/addons/product/product_view.xml
+++ b/addons/product/product_view.xml
@@ -849,9 +849,9 @@
                                     </group>
                                 </group>
                                 <group colspan="4" string="Product Variants">
-                                    <field colspan="4" name="product_variant_ids" nolabel="1">
+                                    <field colspan="4" name="product_variant_ids" nolabel="1" domain="[('variants','!=',False)]">
                                         <tree string="Product Variants" editable="bottom">
-                                            <field name="variants" required="1"/>
+                                            <field name="variants"/>
                                             <field name="price_margin" string="Variant Price Margin(%%)"/>
                                             <field name="price_extra"/>
                                             <field name="lst_price" string="Sale Price"/>