diff --git a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphMatValueSpec.scala b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphMatValueSpec.scala
index 3e8eb4aaa8..2452adbce9 100644
--- a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphMatValueSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphMatValueSpec.scala
@@ -169,6 +169,47 @@ class GraphMatValueSpec extends AkkaSpec {
           done should ===(true)
         }
 
+        "ignore materialized values for a graph with no materialized values exposed" in {
+          // The bug here was that the default behavior for "compose" in Module is Keep.left, but
+          // EmptyModule.compose broke this by always returning the other module intact, which means
+          // that the materialized value was that of the other module (which is inconsistent with Keep.left behavior).
+
+          val sink = Sink.ignore
+          val g = RunnableGraph.fromGraph(GraphDSL.create() { implicit builder: GraphDSL.Builder[NotUsed] ⇒
+            import GraphDSL.Implicits._
+            val s = builder.add(sink)
+            val src = builder.add(Source(1 to 3))
+            val flow = builder.add(Flow[Int])
+
+            src ~> flow ~> s
+            ClosedShape
+          })
+
+          val result = g.run()
+        }
+
+        "ignore materialized values for a graph with no materialized values exposed, but keep side-effects" in {
+          // The bug here was that the default behavior for "compose" in Module is Keep.left, but
+          // EmptyModule.compose broke this by always returning the other module intact, which means
+          // that the materialized value was that of the other module (which is inconsistent with Keep.left behavior).
+
+          val sink = Sink.ignore.mapMaterializedValue(_ ⇒ testActor ! "side effect!")
+          val g = RunnableGraph.fromGraph(GraphDSL.create() { implicit builder: GraphDSL.Builder[NotUsed] ⇒
+            import GraphDSL.Implicits._
+            val s = builder.add(sink)
+            val src = builder.add(Source(1 to 3))
+            val flow = builder.add(Flow[Int])
+
+            src ~> flow ~> s
+            ClosedShape
+          })
+
+          var result = g.run()
+
+          expectMsg("side effect!")
+
+        }
+
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/boilerplate/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphApply.scala.template b/akka-stream/src/main/boilerplate/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphApply.scala.template
index 5282c5ca83..327b7f04b3 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/boilerplate/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphApply.scala.template
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/boilerplate/akka/stream/scaladsl/GraphApply.scala.template
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ trait GraphApply {
    */
   def create[S <: Shape, Mat](g1: Graph[Shape, Mat])(buildBlock: GraphDSL.Builder[Mat] ⇒ (g1.Shape) ⇒ S): Graph[S, Mat] = {
     val builder = new GraphDSL.Builder
-    val s1 = builder.add(g1)
+    val s1 = builder.add(g1, Keep.right)
     val s = buildBlock(builder)(s1)
     val mod = builder.module.replaceShape(s)
 
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamLayout.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamLayout.scala
index d91a783f4a..e351a38c8b 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamLayout.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamLayout.scala
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ object StreamLayout {
     /**
      * Fuses this Module to `that` Module by wiring together `from` and `to`,
      * retaining the materialized value of `this` in the result
+     *
      * @param that a Module to fuse with
      * @param from the data source to wire
      * @param to the data sink to wire
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ object StreamLayout {
      * Fuses this Module to `that` Module by wiring together `from` and `to`,
      * transforming the materialized values of `this` and `that` using the
      * provided function `f`
+     *
      * @param that a Module to fuse with
      * @param from the data source to wire
      * @param to the data sink to wire
@@ -242,6 +244,7 @@ object StreamLayout {
      * Creates a new Module which is `this` Module composed with `that` Module,
      * using the given function `f` to compose the materialized value of `this` with
      * the materialized value of `that`.
+     *
      * @param that a Module to be composed with (cannot be itself)
      * @param f a function which combines the materialized values
      * @tparam A the type of the materialized value of `this`
@@ -345,10 +348,32 @@ object StreamLayout {
       if (s != shape) throw new UnsupportedOperationException("cannot replace the shape of the EmptyModule")
       else this
 
-    override def compose(that: Module): Module = that
+    override def compose(that: Module): Module = compose(that, scaladsl.Keep.left)
 
-    override def compose[A, B, C](that: Module, f: (A, B) ⇒ C): Module =
-      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("It is invalid to combine materialized value with EmptyModule")
+    override def compose[A, B, C](that: Module, f: (A, B) ⇒ C): Module = {
+      if (f eq scaladsl.Keep.right) {
+        that
+      } else if (f eq scaladsl.Keep.left) {
+        // If "that" has a fully ignorable materialized value, we ignore it, otherwise we keep the side effect and
+        // explicitly map to NotUsed
+        val mat =
+          if (IgnorableMatValComp(that))
+            Ignore
+          else
+            Transform(_ => NotUsed, that.materializedValueComputation)
+
+        CompositeModule(
+          if (that.isSealed) Set(that) else that.subModules,
+          that.shape,
+          that.downstreams,
+          that.upstreams,
+          mat,
+          if (this.isSealed) Attributes.none else attributes)
+      } else {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("It is invalid to combine materialized value with EmptyModule " +
+          "except with Keep.left or Keep.right")
+      }
+    }
 
     override def withAttributes(attributes: Attributes): Module =
       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("EmptyModule cannot carry attributes")
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Graph.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Graph.scala
index e7c67f23b0..d30a726c1c 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Graph.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Graph.scala
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ object GraphDSL extends GraphApply {
     def add[S <: Shape](graph: Graph[S, _]): S = {
       if (StreamLayout.Debug) StreamLayout.validate(graph.module)
       val copy = graph.module.carbonCopy
-      moduleInProgress = moduleInProgress.compose(copy)
+      moduleInProgress = moduleInProgress.compose(copy, Keep.left)
       graph.shape.copyFromPorts(copy.shape.inlets, copy.shape.outlets).asInstanceOf[S]
     }
 
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ object GraphDSL extends GraphApply {
     private[stream] def add[S <: Shape, A](graph: Graph[S, _], transform: (A) ⇒ Any): S = {
       if (StreamLayout.Debug) StreamLayout.validate(graph.module)
       val copy = graph.module.carbonCopy
-      moduleInProgress = moduleInProgress.compose(copy.transformMaterializedValue(transform.asInstanceOf[Any ⇒ Any]))
+      moduleInProgress = moduleInProgress.compose(copy.transformMaterializedValue(transform.asInstanceOf[Any ⇒ Any]), Keep.right)
       graph.shape.copyFromPorts(copy.shape.inlets, copy.shape.outlets).asInstanceOf[S]
     }