diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserKeyword.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserKeyword.cpp
index f090a671b..bef96f37b 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserKeyword.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserKeyword.cpp
@@ -114,8 +114,13 @@ namespace Opm {
 
     
     ParserKeyword::ParserKeyword(const Json::JsonObject& jsonConfig) {
+        ParserKeywordActionEnum action = INTERNALIZE;
+
+        if (jsonConfig.has_item("action"))
+            action = ParserKeywordActionEnumFromString( jsonConfig.get_string("action") );
+        
         if (jsonConfig.has_item("name")) {
-            commonInit(jsonConfig.get_string("name") , INTERNALIZE);
+            commonInit(jsonConfig.get_string("name") , action);
         } else
             throw std::invalid_argument("Json object is missing name: property");
 
@@ -130,7 +135,7 @@ namespace Opm {
         if (isTableCollection())
             addTableItems();
 
-        if (m_fixedSize == 0 && m_keywordSizeType == FIXED)
+        if ((m_fixedSize == 0 && m_keywordSizeType == FIXED) || (m_action != INTERNALIZE))
             return;
         else  {
             if (numItems() == 0)
@@ -345,7 +350,8 @@ namespace Opm {
             (m_record->equal( *(other.m_record) )) &&
             (m_keywordSizeType == other.m_keywordSizeType) &&
             (m_isDataKeyword == other.m_isDataKeyword) &&
-            (m_isTableCollection == other.m_isTableCollection))
+            (m_isTableCollection == other.m_isTableCollection) &&
+            (m_action == other.m_action)) 
             {
                 bool equal = false;
                 switch(m_keywordSizeType) {
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/tests/ParserKeywordTests.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/tests/ParserKeywordTests.cpp
index 44f05e3c6..de58744ca 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/tests/ParserKeywordTests.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/tests/ParserKeywordTests.cpp
@@ -130,8 +130,18 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObject) {
 }
 
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObjectWithActionInvalidThrows) {
+    Json::JsonObject jsonObject("{\"name\": \"XXX\" , \"size\" : 0, \"action\" : \"WhatEver?\"}");
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ParserKeyword parserKeyword(jsonObject) , std::invalid_argument);
+}
 
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObjectWithAction) {
+    Json::JsonObject jsonObject("{\"name\": \"XXX\" , \"size\" : 0, \"action\" : \"IGNORE\"}");
+    ParserKeyword parserKeyword(jsonObject);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL( IGNORE , parserKeyword.getAction() );
+}
+
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObject_withSize) {
     Json::JsonObject jsonObject("{\"name\": \"BPR\", \"size\" : 100 , \"items\" :[{\"name\":\"ItemX\" , \"size_type\":\"SINGLE\" , \"value_type\" : \"FLOAT\"}]}");
@@ -150,6 +160,12 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObject_missingItemThrows) {
     BOOST_CHECK_THROW( ParserKeyword parserKeyword(jsonObject) , std::invalid_argument);
 }
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObject_missingItemActionIgnoreOK) {
+    Json::JsonObject jsonObject("{\"name\": \"BPR\", \"size\" : 100, \"action\" : \"IGNORE\"}");
+    BOOST_CHECK_NO_THROW( ParserKeyword parserKeyword(jsonObject));
+}
+
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(ConstructFromJsonObject_nosize_notItems_OK) {
     Json::JsonObject jsonObject("{\"name\": \"BPR\"}");
     ParserKeyword parserKeyword(jsonObject);