diff --git a/lang/en/attendance.php b/lang/en/attendance.php
index c5fabd7..dd7035c 100644
--- a/lang/en/attendance.php
+++ b/lang/en/attendance.php
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ $string['downloadtext'] = 'Download in text format';
 $string['donotusepaging'] = 'Do not use paging';
 $string['duration'] = 'Duration';
 $string['editsession'] = 'Edit Session';
+$string['emptyacronym'] = 'Empty acronyms are not allowed. Status record not updated.';
+$string['emptydescription'] = 'Empty descriptions are not allowed. Status record not updated.';
 $string['endtime'] = 'Session end time';
 $string['endofperiod'] = 'End of period';
 $string['enrolmentend'] = 'User enrolment ends {$a}';
diff --git a/locallib.php b/locallib.php
index 8df8c25..4ddf321 100644
--- a/locallib.php
+++ b/locallib.php
@@ -1487,6 +1487,10 @@ class attendance {
     public function update_status($status, $acronym, $description, $grade, $visible) {
         global $DB;
 
+        if (empty($acronym) || empty($description)) {
+            return array('acronym' => $acronym, 'description' => $description);
+        }
+
         $updated = array();
 
         if ($acronym) {
diff --git a/preferences.php b/preferences.php
index ce30721..062c547 100644
--- a/preferences.php
+++ b/preferences.php
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ $PAGE->set_cacheable(true);
 $PAGE->set_button($OUTPUT->update_module_button($cm->id, 'attendance'));
 $PAGE->navbar->add(get_string('settings', 'attendance'));
 
+$errors = array();
+
 switch ($att->pageparams->action) {
     case att_preferences_page_params::ACTION_ADD:
         $newacronym         = optional_param('newacronym', null, PARAM_TEXT);
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ switch ($att->pageparams->action) {
 
         foreach ($acronym as $id => $v) {
             $status = $statuses[$id];
-            $att->update_status($status, $acronym[$id], $description[$id], $grade[$id], null);
+            $errors[$id] = $att->update_status($status, $acronym[$id], $description[$id], $grade[$id], null);
         }
         if ($att->grade > 0) {
             att_update_all_users_grades($att->id, $att->course, $att->context, $cm);
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ switch ($att->pageparams->action) {
 
 $output = $PAGE->get_renderer('mod_attendance');
 $tabs = new attendance_tabs($att, attendance_tabs::TAB_PREFERENCES);
-$prefdata = new attendance_preferences_data($att);
+$prefdata = new attendance_preferences_data($att, array_filter($errors));
 
 // Output starts here.
 
diff --git a/renderables.php b/renderables.php
index 924dda9..61997a6 100644
--- a/renderables.php
+++ b/renderables.php
@@ -535,8 +535,11 @@ class attendance_preferences_data implements renderable {
 
     private $att;
 
-    public function __construct(attendance $att) {
+    public $errors;
+
+    public function __construct(attendance $att, $errors) {
         $this->statuses = $att->get_statuses(false);
+        $this->errors = $errors;
 
         foreach ($this->statuses as $st) {
             $st->haslogs = att_has_logs_for_status ($st->id);
diff --git a/renderer.php b/renderer.php
index 3645fd4..7138e15 100644
--- a/renderer.php
+++ b/renderer.php
@@ -926,9 +926,22 @@ class mod_attendance_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
 
         $i = 1;
         foreach ($prefdata->statuses as $st) {
+            $emptyacronym = '';
+            $emptydescription = '';
+            if (array_key_exists($st->id, $prefdata->errors)) {
+                if (empty($prefdata->errors[$st->id]['acronym'])) {
+                    $emptyacronym = $this->construct_notice(get_string('emptyacronym', 'mod_attendance'), 'notifyproblem');
+                }
+                if (empty($prefdata->errors[$st->id]['description'])) {
+                    $emptydescription = $this->construct_notice(get_string('emptydescription', 'mod_attendance') , 'notifyproblem');
+                }
+            }
+
             $table->data[$i][] = $i;
-            $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_text_input('acronym['.$st->id.']', 2, 2, $st->acronym);
-            $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_text_input('description['.$st->id.']', 30, 30, $st->description);
+            $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_text_input('acronym['.$st->id.']', 2, 2, $st->acronym)
+                    . $emptyacronym;
+            $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_text_input('description['.$st->id.']', 30, 30, $st->description)
+                    . $emptydescription;
             $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_text_input('grade['.$st->id.']', 4, 4, $st->grade);
             $table->data[$i][] = $this->construct_preferences_actions_icons($st, $prefdata);
 
@@ -1003,4 +1016,16 @@ class mod_attendance_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
         return html_writer::empty_tag('input', $attributes);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Construct a notice message
+     * 
+     * @param string $text
+     * @param string $class
+     * @return string
+     */
+    private function construct_notice($text, $class = 'notifymessage') {
+        $attributes = array('class' => $class);
+        return html_writer::tag('p', $text, $attributes);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/tests/behat/preferences.feature b/tests/behat/preferences.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f30cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/behat/preferences.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+@mod @uon @mod_attendance @mod_attendance_preferences
+Feature: Teachers can't change status variables to have empty acronyms or descriptions
+    In order to update status variables
+    As a teacher
+    I need to see an error notice below each acronym / description that I try to set to be empty
+
+    Background:
+        Given the following "courses" exist:
+            | fullname | shortname | summary | category |
+            | Course 1 | C101      | Prove the attendance activity settings works | 0 |
+        And the following "users" exist:
+            | username    | firstname | lastname |
+            | student1    | Sam       | Student  |
+            | teacher1    | Teacher   | One      |
+        And the following "course enrolments" exist:
+            | user        | course | role    |
+            | student1    | C101   | student |
+            | teacher1    | C101   | editingteacher |
+        And I log in as "teacher1"
+        And I follow "Course 1"
+        And I turn editing mode on
+        And I add a "Attendance" to section "1"
+        And I press "Save and display"
+        And I follow "Settings"
+
+    @javascript
+    Scenario: Teachers can add status variables
+        # Set the second status acronym to be empty
+        Given I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[2]/td[2]/input" to ""
+        # Set the second status description to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[2]/td[3]/input" to ""
+        # Set the second status grade to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[2]/td[4]/input" to ""
+        When I click on "Update" "button" in the "#preferencesform" "css_element"
+        Then I should see "Empty acronyms are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[2]/td[2]/p" "xpath_element"
+        And I should see "Empty descriptions are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[2]/td[3]/p" "xpath_element"
+        And I click on "Update" "button" in the "#preferencesform" "css_element"
+
+        # Set the first status acronym to be empty
+        Given I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[1]/td[2]/input" to ""
+        # Set the first status description to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[1]/td[3]/input" to ""
+        # Set the first status grade to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[1]/td[4]/input" to ""
+        # Set the third status acronym to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[3]/td[2]/input" to ""
+        # Set the third status description to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[3]/td[3]/input" to ""
+        # Set the third status grade to be empty
+        And I set the field with xpath "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[3]/td[4]/input" to ""
+        When I click on "Update" "button" in the "#preferencesform" "css_element"
+        Then I should see "Empty acronyms are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[1]/td[2]/p" "xpath_element"
+        And I should see "Empty descriptions are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[1]/td[3]/p" "xpath_element"
+        And I should see "Empty acronyms are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[3]/td[2]/p" "xpath_element"
+        And I should see "Empty descriptions are not allowed" in the "//*[@id='preferencesform']/table/tbody/tr[3]/td[3]/p" "xpath_element"