diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/MobileSignalController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/MobileSignalController.java
index b93fb2288e5fc..9d3cf82bb73b7 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/MobileSignalController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/MobileSignalController.java
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ public class MobileSignalController extends SignalController<
                 && !mCurrentState.carrierNetworkChangeMode
                 && mCurrentState.activityOut;
         showDataIcon &= mCurrentState.isDefault || dataDisabled;
-        int typeIcon = showDataIcon ? icons.mDataType : 0;
+        int typeIcon = (showDataIcon || mConfig.alwaysShowDataRatIcon) ? icons.mDataType : 0;
         callback.setMobileDataIndicators(statusIcon, qsIcon, typeIcon, qsTypeIcon,
                 activityIn, activityOut, dataContentDescription, description, icons.mIsWide,
                 mSubscriptionInfo.getSubscriptionId(), mCurrentState.roaming);
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ public class MobileSignalController extends SignalController<
         mCurrentState.roaming = isRoaming();
         if (isCarrierNetworkChangeActive()) {
             mCurrentState.iconGroup = TelephonyIcons.CARRIER_NETWORK_CHANGE;
-        } else if (isDataDisabled()) {
+        } else if (isDataDisabled() && !mConfig.alwaysShowDataRatIcon) {
             mCurrentState.iconGroup = TelephonyIcons.DATA_DISABLED;
         }
         if (isEmergencyOnly() != mCurrentState.isEmergency) {
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerImpl.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerImpl.java
index c217bda935c41..926dbc54b1dc8 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerImpl.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerImpl.java
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Looper;
+import android.os.PersistableBundle;
 import android.provider.Settings;
+import android.telephony.CarrierConfigManager;
 import android.telephony.ServiceState;
 import android.telephony.SignalStrength;
 import android.telephony.SubscriptionInfo;
@@ -246,6 +248,7 @@ public class NetworkControllerImpl extends BroadcastReceiver
         filter.addAction(ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION);
         filter.addAction(ConnectivityManager.INET_CONDITION_ACTION);
         filter.addAction(Intent.ACTION_AIRPLANE_MODE_CHANGED);
+        filter.addAction(CarrierConfigManager.ACTION_CARRIER_CONFIG_CHANGED);
         mContext.registerReceiver(this, filter, null, mReceiverHandler);
         mListening = true;
 
@@ -434,6 +437,14 @@ public class NetworkControllerImpl extends BroadcastReceiver
                 // emergency state.
                 recalculateEmergency();
             }
+        } else if (action.equals(CarrierConfigManager.ACTION_CARRIER_CONFIG_CHANGED)) {
+            mConfig = Config.readConfig(mContext);
+            mReceiverHandler.post(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    handleConfigurationChanged();
+                }
+            });
         } else {
             int subId = intent.getIntExtra(PhoneConstants.SUBSCRIPTION_KEY,
                     SubscriptionManager.INVALID_SUBSCRIPTION_ID);
@@ -959,6 +970,7 @@ public class NetworkControllerImpl extends BroadcastReceiver
         boolean hideLtePlus = false;
         boolean hspaDataDistinguishable;
         boolean inflateSignalStrengths = false;
+        boolean alwaysShowDataRatIcon = false;
 
         static Config readConfig(Context context) {
             Config config = new Config();
@@ -972,6 +984,14 @@ public class NetworkControllerImpl extends BroadcastReceiver
                     res.getBoolean(R.bool.config_hspa_data_distinguishable);
             config.hideLtePlus = res.getBoolean(R.bool.config_hideLtePlus);
             config.inflateSignalStrengths = res.getBoolean(R.bool.config_inflateSignalStrength);
+
+            CarrierConfigManager configMgr = (CarrierConfigManager)
+                    context.getSystemService(Context.CARRIER_CONFIG_SERVICE);
+            PersistableBundle b = configMgr.getConfig();
+            if (b != null) {
+                config.alwaysShowDataRatIcon = b.getBoolean(
+                        CarrierConfigManager.KEY_ALWAYS_SHOW_DATA_RAT_ICON_BOOL);
+            }
             return config;
         }
     }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerDataTest.java b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerDataTest.java
index 7708adb7c9ddf..47ddd2e1379f6 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerDataTest.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/policy/NetworkControllerDataTest.java
@@ -142,6 +142,23 @@ public class NetworkControllerDataTest extends NetworkControllerBaseTest {
         verifyDataIndicators(0, 0);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @Ignore("Flaky")
+    public void testAlwaysShowDataRatIcon() {
+        setupDefaultSignal();
+        when(mMockTm.getDataEnabled(mSubId)).thenReturn(false);
+        updateDataConnectionState(TelephonyManager.DATA_DISCONNECTED,
+                TelephonyManager.NETWORK_TYPE_GSM);
+
+        // Switch to showing data RAT icon when data is disconnected
+        // and re-initialize the NetworkController.
+        mConfig.alwaysShowDataRatIcon = true;
+        mNetworkController.handleConfigurationChanged();
+
+        verifyDataIndicators(TelephonyIcons.ICON_G,
+                TelephonyIcons.QS_DATA_G);
+    }
+
     @Test
     @Ignore("Flaky")
     public void test4gDataIconConfigChange() {
diff --git a/telephony/java/android/telephony/CarrierConfigManager.java b/telephony/java/android/telephony/CarrierConfigManager.java
index 1d081119ffd3a..e0bd05da49f29 100644
--- a/telephony/java/android/telephony/CarrierConfigManager.java
+++ b/telephony/java/android/telephony/CarrierConfigManager.java
@@ -947,6 +947,12 @@ public class CarrierConfigManager {
     public static final String KEY_STK_DISABLE_LAUNCH_BROWSER_BOOL =
             "stk_disable_launch_browser_bool";
 
+    /**
+     * Boolean indicating if show data RAT icon on status bar even when data is disabled
+     * @hide
+     */
+    public static final String KEY_ALWAYS_SHOW_DATA_RAT_ICON_BOOL =
+            "always_show_data_rat_icon_bool";
 
     // These variables are used by the MMS service and exposed through another API, {@link
     // SmsManager}. The variable names and string values are copied from there.
@@ -1925,6 +1931,7 @@ public class CarrierConfigManager {
         sDefaults.putStringArray(KEY_FEATURE_ACCESS_CODES_STRING_ARRAY, null);
         sDefaults.putBoolean(KEY_IDENTIFY_HIGH_DEFINITION_CALLS_IN_CALL_LOG_BOOL, false);
         sDefaults.putBoolean(KEY_SPN_DISPLAY_RULE_USE_ROAMING_FROM_SERVICE_STATE_BOOL, false);
+        sDefaults.putBoolean(KEY_ALWAYS_SHOW_DATA_RAT_ICON_BOOL, false);
     }
 
     /**