diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.cpp
index f90d4582a..09d0e6cc1 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.cpp
@@ -96,14 +96,32 @@ void AnnotationDisplay::OnSelectedEventChanged(uint32_t eventId)
   setAnnotationObject(ev.annotations);
 }
 
+bool AnnotationDisplay::shouldBeDisplayed(const SDObject &obj)
+{
+  if(obj.type.flags & SDTypeFlags::Hidden)
+    return false;
+
+  if(obj.name.beginsWith("__"))
+    return false;
+
+  if(obj.type.basetype == SDBasic::Struct)
+  {
+    for(const SDObject *child_obj : obj)
+    {
+      if(shouldBeDisplayed(*child_obj))
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 void AnnotationDisplay::addStructuredChildren(RDTreeWidgetItem *parent, const SDObject &parentObj)
 {
   for(const SDObject *obj : parentObj)
   {
-    if(obj->type.flags & SDTypeFlags::Hidden)
-      continue;
-
-    if(obj->name.beginsWith("__"))
+    if(!shouldBeDisplayed(*obj))
       continue;
 
     QVariant name;
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.h b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.h
index 348ebb4dc..b55f1a2f4 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/AnnotationDisplay.h
@@ -66,4 +66,7 @@ private:
   QMap<const SDObject *, RDTreeWidgetItem *> m_Items;
 
   void addStructuredChildren(RDTreeWidgetItem *parent, const SDObject &parentObj);
+
+  // either is a non-empty node, or has at least one non-empty child
+  bool shouldBeDisplayed(const SDObject &obj);
 };