diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
index 2e568808b70..d006b02705c 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_ui_view.py
@@ -146,9 +146,18 @@ class view(osv.osv):
             [('primary', "Base view"), ('extension', "Extension View")],
             string="View inheritance mode",
             required=True),
+
+        'application': fields.selection([
+            ('always', "Always applied"),
+            ('enabled', "Optional, enabled"),
+            ('disabled', "Optional, disabled"),
+        ], required=True, string="If this view is inherited, whether it can be"
+                                 " toggled off, and whether it is currently"
+                                 " enabled"),
     }
     _defaults = {
         'mode': 'primary',
+        'application': 'always',
         'priority': 16,
     }
     _order = "priority,name"
@@ -304,7 +313,11 @@ class view(osv.osv):
         user = self.pool['res.users'].browse(cr, 1, uid, context=context)
         user_groups = frozenset(user.groups_id or ())
 
-        conditions = [['inherit_id', '=', view_id], ['model', '=', model]]
+        conditions = [
+            ['inherit_id', '=', view_id],
+            ['model', '=', model],
+            ['application', 'in', ['always', 'enabled']],
+        ]
         if self.pool._init:
             # Module init currently in progress, only consider views from
             # modules whose code is already loaded
diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
index 9da162a7e5c..a098b9438ac 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/tests/test_views.py
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ class ViewCase(common.TransactionCase):
     def create(self, value, context=None):
         return self.Views.create(self.cr, self.uid, value, context=context)
 
+    def read_combined(self, id):
+        return self.Views.read_combined(
+            self.cr, self.uid,
+            id, ['arch'],
+            context={'check_view_ids': self.Views.search(self.cr, self.uid, [])}
+        )
+
     def assertTreesEqual(self, n1, n2, msg=None):
         self.assertEqual(n1.tag, n2.tag, msg)
         self.assertEqual((n1.text or '').strip(), (n2.text or '').strip(), msg)
@@ -629,6 +636,7 @@ class test_views(ViewCase):
         """Insert view into database via a query to passtrough validation"""
         kw.pop('id', None)
         kw.setdefault('mode', 'extension' if kw.get('inherit_id') else 'primary')
+        kw.setdefault('application', 'always')
 
         keys = sorted(kw.keys())
         fields = ','.join('"%s"' % (k.replace('"', r'\"'),) for k in keys)
@@ -999,13 +1007,6 @@ class TestViewCombined(ViewCase):
             'arch': '<xpath expr="//a1" position="after"><d1/></xpath>'
         })
 
-    def read_combined(self, id):
-        return self.Views.read_combined(
-            self.cr, self.uid,
-            id, ['arch'],
-            context={'check_view_ids': self.Views.search(self.cr, self.uid, [])}
-        )
-
     def test_basic_read(self):
         arch = self.read_combined(self.a1)['arch']
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -1052,6 +1053,50 @@ class TestViewCombined(ViewCase):
                 E.a2(),
             ), arch)
 
+class TestOptionalViews(ViewCase):
+    """
+    Tests ability to enable/disable inherited views, formerly known as
+    inherit_option_id
+    """
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(TestOptionalViews, self).setUp()
+        self.v0 = self.create({
+            'model': 'a',
+            'arch': '<qweb><base/></qweb>',
+        })
+        self.v1 = self.create({
+            'model': 'a',
+            'inherit_id': self.v0,
+            'application': 'always',
+            'arch': '<xpath expr="//base" position="after"><v1/></xpath>',
+        })
+        self.v2 = self.create({
+            'model': 'a',
+            'inherit_id': self.v0,
+            'application': 'enabled',
+            'arch': '<xpath expr="//base" position="after"><v2/></xpath>',
+        })
+        self.v3 = self.create({
+            'model': 'a',
+            'inherit_id': self.v0,
+            'application': 'disabled',
+            'arch': '<xpath expr="//base" position="after"><v3/></xpath>'
+        })
+
+    def test_applied(self):
+        """ mandatory and enabled views should be applied
+        """
+        arch = self.read_combined(self.v0)['arch']
+        self.assertEqual(
+            ET.fromstring(arch),
+            E.qweb(
+                E.base(),
+                E.v1(),
+                E.v2(),
+            )
+        )
+
 class TestXPathExtentions(common.BaseCase):
     def test_hasclass(self):
         tree = E.node(