diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeType.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeType.php
index c3f95f59af..64d2c2d2f4 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeType.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeType.php
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ class DateTimeType extends AbstractType
                 ));
             }
         } else {
+            // when the form is compound the entries of the array are ignored in favor of children data
+            // so we need to handle the cascade setting here
+            $emptyData = $builder->getEmptyData() ?: array();
             // Only pass a subset of the options to children
             $dateOptions = array_intersect_key($options, array_flip(array(
                 'years',
@@ -105,6 +108,10 @@ class DateTimeType extends AbstractType
                 'invalid_message_parameters',
             )));
 
+            if (isset($emptyData['date'])) {
+                $dateOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['date'];
+            }
+
             $timeOptions = array_intersect_key($options, array_flip(array(
                 'hours',
                 'minutes',
@@ -121,6 +128,10 @@ class DateTimeType extends AbstractType
                 'invalid_message_parameters',
             )));
 
+            if (isset($emptyData['time'])) {
+                $timeOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['time'];
+            }
+
             if (false === $options['label']) {
                 $dateOptions['label'] = false;
                 $timeOptions['label'] = false;
@@ -226,6 +237,9 @@ class DateTimeType extends AbstractType
             // this option.
             'data_class' => null,
             'compound' => $compound,
+            'empty_data' => function (Options $options) {
+                return $options['compound'] ? array() : '';
+            },
         ));
 
         // Don't add some defaults in order to preserve the defaults
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateType.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateType.php
index ad4499899a..ce41c3c7d3 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateType.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/DateType.php
@@ -75,7 +75,21 @@ class DateType extends AbstractType
 
             $yearOptions = $monthOptions = $dayOptions = array(
                 'error_bubbling' => true,
+                'empty_data' => '',
             );
+            // when the form is compound the entries of the array are ignored in favor of children data
+            // so we need to handle the cascade setting here
+            $emptyData = $builder->getEmptyData() ?: array();
+
+            if (isset($emptyData['year'])) {
+                $yearOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['year'];
+            }
+            if (isset($emptyData['month'])) {
+                $monthOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['month'];
+            }
+            if (isset($emptyData['day'])) {
+                $dayOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['day'];
+            }
 
             if (isset($options['invalid_message'])) {
                 $dayOptions['invalid_message'] = $options['invalid_message'];
@@ -272,6 +286,9 @@ class DateType extends AbstractType
             // this option.
             'data_class' => null,
             'compound' => $compound,
+            'empty_data' => function (Options $options) {
+                return $options['compound'] ? array() : '';
+            },
             'choice_translation_domain' => false,
         ));
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/TimeType.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/TimeType.php
index 4a27cd440b..facfc098b7 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/TimeType.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Extension/Core/Type/TimeType.php
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@ class TimeType extends AbstractType
         } else {
             $hourOptions = $minuteOptions = $secondOptions = array(
                 'error_bubbling' => true,
+                'empty_data' => '',
             );
+            // when the form is compound the entries of the array are ignored in favor of children data
+            // so we need to handle the cascade setting here
+            $emptyData = $builder->getEmptyData() ?: array();
+
+            if (isset($emptyData['hour'])) {
+                $hourOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['hour'];
+            }
 
             if (isset($options['invalid_message'])) {
                 $hourOptions['invalid_message'] = $options['invalid_message'];
@@ -138,10 +146,16 @@ class TimeType extends AbstractType
             $builder->add('hour', self::$widgets[$options['widget']], $hourOptions);
 
             if ($options['with_minutes']) {
+                if (isset($emptyData['minute'])) {
+                    $minuteOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['minute'];
+                }
                 $builder->add('minute', self::$widgets[$options['widget']], $minuteOptions);
             }
 
             if ($options['with_seconds']) {
+                if (isset($emptyData['second'])) {
+                    $secondOptions['empty_data'] = $emptyData['second'];
+                }
                 $builder->add('second', self::$widgets[$options['widget']], $secondOptions);
             }
 
@@ -265,6 +279,9 @@ class TimeType extends AbstractType
             // representation is not \DateTime, but an array, we need to unset
             // this option.
             'data_class' => null,
+            'empty_data' => function (Options $options) {
+                return $options['compound'] ? array() : '';
+            },
             'compound' => $compound,
             'choice_translation_domain' => false,
         ));
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeTypeTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeTypeTest.php
index 2531332f05..f0e45f5d56 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeTypeTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTimeTypeTest.php
@@ -631,4 +631,31 @@ class DateTimeTypeTest extends BaseTypeTest
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getData());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider provideEmptyData
+     */
+    public function testSubmitNullUsesDateEmptyData($widget, $emptyData, $expectedData)
+    {
+        $form = $this->factory->create(static::TESTED_TYPE, null, array(
+            'widget' => $widget,
+            'empty_data' => $emptyData,
+        ));
+        $form->submit(null);
+
+        $this->assertSame($emptyData, $form->getViewData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getData());
+    }
+
+    public function provideEmptyData()
+    {
+        $expectedData = \DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i', '2018-11-11 21:23');
+
+        return array(
+            'Simple field' => array('single_text', '2018-11-11T21:23:00', $expectedData),
+            'Compound text field' => array('text', array('date' => array('year' => '2018', 'month' => '11', 'day' => '11'), 'time' => array('hour' => '21', 'minute' => '23')), $expectedData),
+            'Compound choice field' => array('choice', array('date' => array('year' => '2018', 'month' => '11', 'day' => '11'), 'time' => array('hour' => '21', 'minute' => '23')), $expectedData),
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTypeTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTypeTest.php
index 0f03b1851d..a15a6c2b32 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTypeTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/DateTypeTest.php
@@ -1011,25 +1011,36 @@ class DateTypeTest extends BaseTypeTest
         ));
         $form->submit(null);
 
-        // view transformer write back empty strings in the view data
+        // view transformer writes back empty strings in the view data
         $this->assertSame(array('year' => '', 'month' => '', 'day' => ''), $form->getViewData());
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getData());
     }
 
-    public function testSingleTextSubmitNullUsesDefaultEmptyData()
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider provideEmptyData
+     */
+    public function testSubmitNullUsesDateEmptyData($widget, $emptyData, $expectedData)
     {
-        $emptyData = '2018-11-11';
         $form = $this->factory->create(static::TESTED_TYPE, null, array(
-            'widget' => 'single_text',
+            'widget' => $widget,
             'empty_data' => $emptyData,
         ));
         $form->submit(null);
 
-        $date = new \DateTime($emptyData);
-
         $this->assertSame($emptyData, $form->getViewData());
-        $this->assertEquals($date, $form->getNormData());
-        $this->assertEquals($date, $form->getData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getData());
+    }
+
+    public function provideEmptyData()
+    {
+        $expectedData = \DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s', '2018-11-11 00:00:00');
+
+        return array(
+            'Simple field' => array('single_text', '2018-11-11', $expectedData),
+            'Compound text fields' => array('text', array('year' => '2018', 'month' => '11', 'day' => '11'), $expectedData),
+            'Compound choice fields' => array('choice', array('year' => '2018', 'month' => '11', 'day' => '11'), $expectedData),
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/TimeTypeTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/TimeTypeTest.php
index 98d4f902fa..5ed4a236f1 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/TimeTypeTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Form/Tests/Extension/Core/Type/TimeTypeTest.php
@@ -805,9 +805,36 @@ class TimeTypeTest extends BaseTypeTest
         ));
         $form->submit(null);
 
-        // view transformer write back empty strings in the view data
+        // view transformer writes back empty strings in the view data
         $this->assertSame(array('hour' => '', 'minute' => ''), $form->getViewData());
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
         $this->assertSame($expectedData, $form->getData());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider provideEmptyData
+     */
+    public function testSubmitNullUsesDateEmptyData($widget, $emptyData, $expectedData)
+    {
+        $form = $this->factory->create(static::TESTED_TYPE, null, array(
+            'widget' => $widget,
+            'empty_data' => $emptyData,
+        ));
+        $form->submit(null);
+
+        $this->assertSame($emptyData, $form->getViewData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getNormData());
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedData, $form->getData());
+    }
+
+    public function provideEmptyData()
+    {
+        $expectedData = \DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i', '1970-01-01 21:23');
+
+        return array(
+            'Simple field' => array('single_text', '21:23', $expectedData),
+            'Compound text field' => array('text', array('hour' => '21', 'minute' => '23'), $expectedData),
+            'Compound choice field' => array('choice', array('hour' => '21', 'minute' => '23'), $expectedData),
+        );
+    }
 }