diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6db30014..357561889 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ neogit.setup {
     recent = {
       folded = true,
       hidden = false,
+      always = false,
     },
     rebase = {
       folded = true,
diff --git a/doc/neogit.txt b/doc/neogit.txt
index b8abcd514..d1fa5d1b2 100644
--- a/doc/neogit.txt
+++ b/doc/neogit.txt
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ to Neovim users.
         recent = {
         folded = true,
         hidden = false,
+        always = false,
         },
         rebase = {
         folded = true,
diff --git a/lua/neogit/buffers/status/ui.lua b/lua/neogit/buffers/status/ui.lua
index 1efc135f6..962314642 100755
--- a/lua/neogit/buffers/status/ui.lua
+++ b/lua/neogit/buffers/status/ui.lua
@@ -517,6 +517,8 @@ function M.Status(state, config)
 
   local show_recent = #state.recent.items > 0
     and not config.sections.recent.hidden
+    and (config.sections.recent.always or not show_upstream_unmerged)
+
 
   return {
     List {
@@ -668,7 +670,7 @@ function M.Status(state, config)
           folded = config.sections.unmerged_pushRemote.folded,
           name = "pushRemote_unmerged",
         },
-        not show_upstream_unmerged and show_recent and Section {
+        show_recent and Section {
           title = SectionTitle { title = "Recent Commits", highlight = "NeogitRecentcommits" },
           count = false,
           render = SectionItemCommit,
diff --git a/lua/neogit/config.lua b/lua/neogit/config.lua
index fd979e712..e90c33b1d 100644
--- a/lua/neogit/config.lua
+++ b/lua/neogit/config.lua
@@ -539,6 +539,7 @@ function M.get_default_values()
       recent = {
         folded = true,
         hidden = false,
+        always = false,
       },
       rebase = {
         folded = true,
diff --git a/tests/specs/neogit/config_spec.lua b/tests/specs/neogit/config_spec.lua
index 0d169c33c..1032f10b2 100644
--- a/tests/specs/neogit/config_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/specs/neogit/config_spec.lua
@@ -404,6 +404,16 @@ describe("Neogit config", function()
         assert.True(vim.tbl_count(require("neogit.config").validate_config()) ~= 0)
       end)
 
+      it("should return invalid when sections.recent.hidden isn't a boolean", function()
+        config.values.sections.recent.hidden = "not a boolean"
+        assert.True(vim.tbl_count(require("neogit.config").validate_config()) ~= 0)
+      end)
+
+      it("should return invalid when sections.recent.always isn't a boolean", function()
+        config.values.sections.recent.always = "not a boolean"
+        assert.False(vim.tbl_count(require("neogit.config").validate_config()) ~= 0)
+      end)
+
       it("should return invalid when sections.recent.folded isn't a boolean", function()
         config.values.sections.recent.folded = "not a boolean"
         assert.True(vim.tbl_count(require("neogit.config").validate_config()) ~= 0)