diff --git a/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.cpp b/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.cpp
index 08acb41..81b1541 100644
--- a/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.cpp
+++ b/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #	include <config.h>
 #endif
 
-#include "layer_switch.h"
+#include <cmath>
 
 #include <synfig/general.h>
 #include <synfig/localization.h>
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <synfig/value.h>
 #include <synfig/valuenode.h>
 
+#include "layer_switch.h"
 
 #endif
 
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ SYNFIG_LAYER_SET_CVS_ID(Layer_Switch,"$Id$");
 Layer_Switch::Layer_Switch()
 {
 	param_layer_name=ValueBase(String());
+	param_layer_depth=ValueBase(int(-1));
 	set_param("children_lock",ValueBase(true));
 
 	SET_INTERPOLATION_DEFAULTS();
@@ -97,6 +99,11 @@ Layer_Switch::get_param_vocab()const
 		.set_hint("sublayer_name")
 	);
 
+	ret.push_back(ParamDesc("layer_depth")
+		.set_local_name(_("Active Layer Depth"))
+		.set_description(_("Uses when layer name is empty. Only layer with specified depth are visible"))
+	);
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -104,6 +111,7 @@ bool
 Layer_Switch::set_param(const String & param, const ValueBase &value)
 {
 	IMPORT_VALUE(param_layer_name);
+	IMPORT_VALUE(param_layer_depth);
 	return Layer_PasteCanvas::set_param(param,value);
 }
 
@@ -111,6 +119,7 @@ ValueBase
 Layer_Switch::get_param(const String& param)const
 {
 	EXPORT_VALUE(param_layer_name);
+	EXPORT_VALUE(param_layer_depth);
 
 	EXPORT_NAME();
 	EXPORT_VERSION();
@@ -122,12 +131,20 @@ Layer::Handle
 Layer_Switch::get_current_layer()const
 {
 	Canvas::Handle canvas = get_sub_canvas();
-	String n = param_layer_name.get(String());
-	if (canvas)
-		for(IndependentContext i = canvas->get_independent_context(); *i; i++)
-			if ((*i)->get_description() == n)
-				return *i;
-	return NULL;
+	if (canvas) {
+		String name = param_layer_name.get(String());
+		if (name.empty()) {
+			int depth = param_layer_depth.get(int());
+			for(IndependentContext i = canvas->get_independent_context(); *i; i++)
+				if ((*i)->get_depth() == depth)
+					return *i;
+		} else {
+			for(IndependentContext i = canvas->get_independent_context(); *i; i++)
+				if ((*i)->get_description() == name)
+					return *i;
+		}
+	}
+	return Layer::Handle();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.h b/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.h
index 6606bd0..50b965a 100644
--- a/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.h
+++ b/synfig-core/src/synfig/layers/layer_switch.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ class Layer_Switch : public Layer_PasteCanvas
 private:
 	//! Parameter: (String) Active Layer Name
 	ValueBase param_layer_name;
+	//! Parameter: (int) Active Layer Depth
+	ValueBase param_layer_depth;
 
 	mutable std::set<String> last_possible_layers;
 	mutable std::set<String> last_existant_layers;
diff --git a/synfig-core/src/synfig/loadcanvas.cpp b/synfig-core/src/synfig/loadcanvas.cpp
index fcf20ef..505d068 100644
--- a/synfig-core/src/synfig/loadcanvas.cpp
+++ b/synfig-core/src/synfig/loadcanvas.cpp
@@ -482,19 +482,8 @@ synfig::String
 CanvasParser::parse_string(xmlpp::Element *element)
 {
 	assert(element->get_name()=="string");
-
 	if(element->get_children().empty())
-	{
-		warning(element, "Undefined value in <string>");
-		return synfig::String();
-	}
-
-	if(element->get_child_text()->get_content().empty())
-	{
-		warning(element, "Content element of <string> appears to be empty");
 		return synfig::String();
-	}
-
 	return element->get_child_text()->get_content();
 }
 
diff --git a/synfig-studio/src/gui/trees/layertreestore.cpp b/synfig-studio/src/gui/trees/layertreestore.cpp
index 75d6d22..45baf3b 100644
--- a/synfig-studio/src/gui/trees/layertreestore.cpp
+++ b/synfig-studio/src/gui/trees/layertreestore.cpp
@@ -868,8 +868,11 @@ LayerTreeStore::set_row_layer(Gtk::TreeRow &row, const synfig::Layer::Handle &ha
 			std::set<String> impossible_existant_layers;
 			if (etl::handle<Layer_Switch> layer_switch = etl::handle<Layer_Switch>::cast_dynamic(handle))
 			{
-				layer_switch->get_possible_new_layers(possible_new_layers);
-				layer_switch->get_impossible_existant_layers(impossible_existant_layers);
+				if (!layer_switch->get_param("layer_name").get(String()).empty())
+				{
+					layer_switch->get_possible_new_layers(possible_new_layers);
+					layer_switch->get_impossible_existant_layers(impossible_existant_layers);
+				}
 			}
 
 			int index = canvas->size() + possible_new_layers.size();
diff --git a/synfig-studio/src/gui/widgets/widget_sublayer.cpp b/synfig-studio/src/gui/widgets/widget_sublayer.cpp
index 0e8c799..e9122c1 100644
--- a/synfig-studio/src/gui/widgets/widget_sublayer.cpp
+++ b/synfig-studio/src/gui/widgets/widget_sublayer.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ Widget_Sublayer::set_value_desc(const synfigapp::ValueDesc &x)
 		if(canvas)
 		{
 			// Fill the combo with the layers' descriptions
+			Gtk::TreeModel::Row row = *(enum_TreeModel->append());
+			row[enum_model.value] = "";
+			row[enum_model.name] = _("<empty>");
 			for(IndependentContext i = canvas->get_independent_context(); *i; i++)
 			{
 				Gtk::TreeModel::Row row = *(enum_TreeModel->append());