diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 4680522..706539e 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ export default function ({types: t}) {
         // Always trim the Message Descriptor values.
         const descriptorValue = evaluatePath(path);
 
-        if(typeof descriptorValue === 'string'){
+        if (typeof descriptorValue === 'string') {
             return descriptorValue.trim();
         }
+
         return descriptorValue;
     }
 
@@ -135,10 +136,15 @@ export default function ({types: t}) {
             }
         }
 
-        if (opts.enforceDescriptions && !description) {
-            throw path.buildCodeFrameError(
-                '[React Intl] Message must have a `description`.'
-            );
+        if (opts.enforceDescriptions) {
+            if (
+                !description ||
+                (typeof description === 'object' && Object.keys(description).length < 1)
+            ) {
+                throw path.buildCodeFrameError(
+                    '[React Intl] Message must have a `description`.'
+                );
+            }
         }
 
         let loc;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/actual.js b/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/actual.js
index 543c1d4..e7c4d6b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/actual.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/actual.js
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ export default class Foo extends Component {
             <FormattedMessage
                 id='foo.bar.baz'
                 defaultMessage='Hello World!'
-                description={{ text:'The default message.', metadata:'metadata content'}}
+                description={{
+                    text: 'Something for the translator.',
+                    metadata: 'Additional metadata content.',
+                }}
             />
         );
     }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/expected.json b/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/expected.json
index 2718d31..1ce5f4a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/descriptionsAsObjects/expected.json
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
   {
     "id": "foo.bar.baz",
     "description": {
-      "text": "The default message.",
-      "metadata": "metadata content"
+      "text": "Something for the translator.",
+      "metadata": "Additional metadata content."
     },
     "defaultMessage": "Hello World!"
   }