diff --git a/cassava.cabal b/cassava.cabal
index 650783c..326f319 100644
--- a/cassava.cabal
+++ b/cassava.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:       1.12
 Name:                cassava
-Version:             0.5.3.0
+Version:             0.6.0.0
 Synopsis:            A CSV parsing and encoding library
 Description: {
 
diff --git a/src/Data/Csv/Builder.hs b/src/Data/Csv/Builder.hs
index 5652f2b..8ce947b 100644
--- a/src/Data/Csv/Builder.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Csv/Builder.hs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ encodeRecordWith opts r =
 encodeNamedRecordWith :: ToNamedRecord a =>
                          EncodeOptions -> Header -> a -> Builder.Builder
 encodeNamedRecordWith opts hdr nr =
-    Encoding.encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts)
+    Encoding.encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts) (encMissing opts)
     (toNamedRecord nr) Mon.<> Encoding.recordSep (encUseCrLf opts)
 
 -- | Like 'encodeDefaultOrderedNamedRecord', but lets you customize
diff --git a/src/Data/Csv/Encoding.hs b/src/Data/Csv/Encoding.hs
index 758bdb8..aae4229 100644
--- a/src/Data/Csv/Encoding.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Csv/Encoding.hs
@@ -211,7 +211,11 @@ data EncodeOptions = EncodeOptions
 
       -- | What kind of quoting should be applied to text fields.
     , encQuoting :: !Quoting
-    } deriving (Eq, Show)
+
+      -- | What to write into empty fields given their field name. For
+      -- backward-compatibility, this defaults to a call to `error`.
+    , encMissing :: Name -> Field
+    }
 
 -- | Encoding options for CSV files.
 defaultEncodeOptions :: EncodeOptions
@@ -220,6 +224,9 @@ defaultEncodeOptions = EncodeOptions
     , encUseCrLf       = True
     , encIncludeHeader = True
     , encQuoting       = QuoteMinimal
+    , encMissing       = \n -> moduleError "namedRecordToRecord" $
+                           "header contains name " ++ show (B8.unpack n) ++
+                           " which is not present in the named record"
     }
 
 -- | Like 'encode', but lets you customize how the CSV data is
@@ -262,9 +269,9 @@ encodeRecord qtng delim = mconcat . intersperse (word8 delim)
 
 -- | Encode a single named record, without the trailing record
 -- separator (i.e. newline), using the given field order.
-encodeNamedRecord :: Header -> Quoting -> Word8 -> NamedRecord -> Builder
-encodeNamedRecord hdr qtng delim =
-    encodeRecord qtng delim . namedRecordToRecord hdr
+encodeNamedRecord :: Header -> Quoting -> Word8 -> (Name -> Field) -> NamedRecord -> Builder
+encodeNamedRecord hdr qtng delim missing =
+    encodeRecord qtng delim . namedRecordToRecord missing hdr
 
 -- TODO: Optimize
 escape :: Quoting -> Word8 -> B.ByteString -> B.ByteString
@@ -300,7 +307,7 @@ encodeByNameWith opts hdr v
     rows True  = encodeRecord (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts) hdr <>
                  recordSep (encUseCrLf opts) <> records
     records = unlines (recordSep (encUseCrLf opts))
-              . map (encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts)
+              . map (encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts) (encMissing opts)
                      . toNamedRecord)
               $ v
 {-# INLINE encodeByNameWith #-}
@@ -320,18 +327,16 @@ encodeDefaultOrderedByNameWith opts v
     rows True  = encodeRecord (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts) hdr <>
                  recordSep (encUseCrLf opts) <> records
     records = unlines (recordSep (encUseCrLf opts))
-              . map (encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts)
+              . map (encodeNamedRecord hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts) (encMissing opts)
                      . toNamedRecord)
               $ v
 {-# INLINE encodeDefaultOrderedByNameWith #-}
 
-namedRecordToRecord :: Header -> NamedRecord -> Record
-namedRecordToRecord hdr nr = V.map find hdr
+namedRecordToRecord :: (Name -> Field) -> Header -> NamedRecord -> Record
+namedRecordToRecord missing hdr nr = V.map find hdr
   where
     find n = case HM.lookup n nr of
-        Nothing -> moduleError "namedRecordToRecord" $
-                   "header contains name " ++ show (B8.unpack n) ++
-                   " which is not present in the named record"
+        Nothing -> missing n
         Just v  -> v
 
 moduleError :: String -> String -> a
diff --git a/src/Data/Csv/Incremental.hs b/src/Data/Csv/Incremental.hs
index a6fc94f..1463fe9 100644
--- a/src/Data/Csv/Incremental.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Csv/Incremental.hs
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ encodeByNameWith opts hdr b =
     Builder.toLazyByteString $
     encHdr <>
     runNamedBuilder b hdr (encQuoting opts) (encDelimiter opts)
-    (encUseCrLf opts)
+    (encMissing opts) (encUseCrLf opts)
   where
     encHdr
       | encIncludeHeader opts =
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ encodeDefaultOrderedByNameWith opts b =
     Builder.toLazyByteString $
     encHdr <>
     runNamedBuilder b hdr (encQuoting opts)
-    (encDelimiter opts) (encUseCrLf opts)
+    (encDelimiter opts) (encMissing opts) (encUseCrLf opts)
   where
     hdr = Conversion.headerOrder (undefined :: a)
 
@@ -430,8 +430,8 @@ encodeDefaultOrderedByNameWith opts b =
 
 -- | Encode a single named record.
 encodeNamedRecord :: ToNamedRecord a => a -> NamedBuilder a
-encodeNamedRecord nr = NamedBuilder $ \ hdr qtng delim useCrLf ->
-    Encoding.encodeNamedRecord hdr qtng delim
+encodeNamedRecord nr = NamedBuilder $ \ hdr qtng delim missing useCrLf ->
+    Encoding.encodeNamedRecord hdr qtng delim missing
     (Conversion.toNamedRecord nr) <> recordSep useCrLf
 
 -- | A builder for building the CSV data incrementally. Just like the
@@ -440,14 +440,14 @@ encodeNamedRecord nr = NamedBuilder $ \ hdr qtng delim useCrLf ->
 -- a left-associative, `foldl'` style makes the building not be
 -- incremental.
 newtype NamedBuilder a = NamedBuilder {
-      runNamedBuilder :: Header -> Quoting -> Word8 -> Bool -> Builder.Builder
+      runNamedBuilder :: Header -> Quoting -> Word8 -> (Name -> Field) -> Bool -> Builder.Builder
     }
 
 -- | @since 0.5.0.0
 instance Semigroup (NamedBuilder a) where
     NamedBuilder f <> NamedBuilder g =
-        NamedBuilder $ \ hdr qtng delim useCrlf ->
-        f hdr qtng delim useCrlf <> g hdr qtng delim useCrlf
+        NamedBuilder $ \ hdr qtng delim missing useCrlf ->
+        f hdr qtng delim missing useCrlf <> g hdr qtng delim missing useCrlf
 
 instance Monoid (NamedBuilder a) where
     mempty = NamedBuilder (\ _ _ _ _ -> mempty)
diff --git a/tests/UnitTests.hs b/tests/UnitTests.hs
index 4e625e0..c260a37 100644
--- a/tests/UnitTests.hs
+++ b/tests/UnitTests.hs
@@ -380,9 +380,24 @@ customDelim delim f1 f2 = delim `notElem` [cr, nl, dquote] ==>
     cr = 13
     dquote = 34
 
+customMissing :: Assertion
+customMissing = encodeByNameWith encOpts hdr nrs @?= ex
+  where
+    encOpts = defaultEncodeOptions { encMissing = id }
+    hdr = V.fromList ["abc", "def"]
+    nrs :: [NamedRecord]
+    nrs =
+      [ HM.fromList [("abc", "123")]
+      , HM.fromList [("def", "456")]
+      , HM.fromList [("abc", "234"), ("def", "567")]
+      , HM.fromList []
+      ]
+    ex = "abc,def\r\n123,def\r\nabc,456\r\n234,567\r\nabc,def\r\n"
+
 customOptionsTests :: [TF.Test]
 customOptionsTests =
     [ testProperty "customDelim" customDelim
+    , testCase "customMissing" customMissing
     ]
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------