diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn.c b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn.c
index 6bec8353f67..0a6e5e647c5 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn.c
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ static int init_reset(void);
 static void ticker_update_conn_op_cb(u32_t status, void *param);
 static inline void disable(u16_t handle);
 static void conn_cleanup(struct ll_conn *conn);
+
+#if defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY)
+static int empty_data_start_release(struct ll_conn *conn, struct node_tx *tx);
+#endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY */
+
 static void ctrl_tx_enqueue(struct ll_conn *conn, struct node_tx *tx);
 static inline void event_fex_prep(struct ll_conn *conn);
 static inline void event_vex_prep(struct ll_conn *conn);
@@ -1153,6 +1158,12 @@ void ull_conn_tx_demux(u8_t count)
 		if (conn) {
 			struct node_tx *tx = lll_tx->node;
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY)
+			if (empty_data_start_release(conn, tx)) {
+				goto ull_conn_tx_demux_release;
+			}
+#endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY */
+
 			tx->next = NULL;
 			if (!conn->tx_data) {
 				conn->tx_data = tx;
@@ -1175,6 +1186,10 @@ void ull_conn_tx_demux(u8_t count)
 			ll_tx_ack_put(0xFFFF, tx);
 		}
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY)
+ull_conn_tx_demux_release:
+#endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY */
+
 		MFIFO_DEQUEUE(conn_tx);
 	} while (--count);
 }
@@ -1501,6 +1516,29 @@ static void conn_cleanup(struct ll_conn *conn)
 	lll->handle = 0xFFFF;
 }
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY)
+static int empty_data_start_release(struct ll_conn *conn, struct node_tx *tx)
+{
+	struct pdu_data *p = (void *)tx->pdu;
+
+	if ((p->ll_id == PDU_DATA_LLID_DATA_START) && !p->len) {
+		conn->start_empty = 1U;
+
+		ll_tx_ack_put(conn->lll.handle, tx);
+
+		return -EINVAL;
+	} else if (p->len && conn->start_empty) {
+		conn->start_empty = 0U;
+
+		if (p->ll_id == PDU_DATA_LLID_DATA_CONTINUE) {
+			p->ll_id = PDU_DATA_LLID_DATA_START;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY */
+
 static void ctrl_tx_last_enqueue(struct ll_conn *conn,
 				      struct node_tx *tx)
 {
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn_types.h b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn_types.h
index 5053e37d883..d11afc40198 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn_types.h
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_conn_types.h
@@ -202,6 +202,11 @@ struct ll_conn {
 	u8_t phy_pref_rx:3;
 #endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_PHY */
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY)
+	/* Detect empty L2CAP start frame */
+	u8_t  start_empty:1;
+#endif /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLID_DATA_START_EMPTY */
+
 	struct node_tx *tx_head;
 	struct node_tx *tx_ctrl;
 	struct node_tx *tx_ctrl_last;