diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index e454bf1d31..175bd3858f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -406,6 +406,7 @@ message ListEntitiesSensorResponse {
   string icon = 5;
   string unit_of_measurement = 6;
   int32 accuracy_decimals = 7;
+  bool force_update = 8;
 }
 message SensorStateResponse {
   option (id) = 25;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
index c4fa89ef97..3f635d1cdb 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
@@ -1359,6 +1359,10 @@ bool ListEntitiesSensorResponse::decode_varint(uint32_t field_id, ProtoVarInt va
       this->accuracy_decimals = value.as_int32();
       return true;
     }
+    case 8: {
+      this->force_update = value.as_bool();
+      return true;
+    }
     default:
       return false;
   }
@@ -1407,6 +1411,7 @@ void ListEntitiesSensorResponse::encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const {
   buffer.encode_string(5, this->icon);
   buffer.encode_string(6, this->unit_of_measurement);
   buffer.encode_int32(7, this->accuracy_decimals);
+  buffer.encode_bool(8, this->force_update);
 }
 void ListEntitiesSensorResponse::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   char buffer[64];
@@ -1440,6 +1445,10 @@ void ListEntitiesSensorResponse::dump_to(std::string &out) const {
   sprintf(buffer, "%d", this->accuracy_decimals);
   out.append(buffer);
   out.append("\n");
+
+  out.append("  force_update: ");
+  out.append(YESNO(this->force_update));
+  out.append("\n");
   out.append("}");
 }
 bool SensorStateResponse::decode_32bit(uint32_t field_id, Proto32Bit value) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index 9997a68477..2e685959bf 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ class ListEntitiesSensorResponse : public ProtoMessage {
   std::string icon{};                 // NOLINT
   std::string unit_of_measurement{};  // NOLINT
   int32_t accuracy_decimals{0};       // NOLINT
+  bool force_update{false};           // NOLINT
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void dump_to(std::string &out) const override;
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_sensor.cpp b/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_sensor.cpp
index a241cf6ed6..f87e7651b9 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_sensor.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/mqtt/mqtt_sensor.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ void MQTTSensorComponent::send_discovery(JsonObject &root, mqtt::SendDiscoveryCo
   if (!this->sensor_->get_icon().empty())
     root["icon"] = this->sensor_->get_icon();
 
+  if (this->sensor_->get_force_update())
+    root["force_update"] = true;
+
   config.command_topic = false;
 }
 bool MQTTSensorComponent::send_initial_state() {
diff --git a/esphome/components/sensor/__init__.py b/esphome/components/sensor/__init__.py
index a9b00b7c08..11a6e5e173 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sensor/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/sensor/__init__.py
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ from esphome import automation
 from esphome.components import mqtt
 from esphome.const import CONF_ABOVE, CONF_ACCURACY_DECIMALS, CONF_ALPHA, CONF_BELOW, \
     CONF_EXPIRE_AFTER, CONF_FILTERS, CONF_FROM, CONF_ICON, CONF_ID, CONF_INTERNAL, \
-    CONF_ON_RAW_VALUE, CONF_ON_VALUE, CONF_ON_VALUE_RANGE, \
-    CONF_SEND_EVERY, CONF_SEND_FIRST_AT, CONF_TO, CONF_TRIGGER_ID, \
-    CONF_UNIT_OF_MEASUREMENT, \
-    CONF_WINDOW_SIZE, CONF_NAME, CONF_MQTT_ID
+    CONF_ON_RAW_VALUE, CONF_ON_VALUE, CONF_ON_VALUE_RANGE, CONF_SEND_EVERY, CONF_SEND_FIRST_AT, \
+    CONF_TO, CONF_TRIGGER_ID, CONF_UNIT_OF_MEASUREMENT, CONF_WINDOW_SIZE, CONF_NAME, CONF_MQTT_ID, \
+    CONF_FORCE_UPDATE
 from esphome.core import CORE, coroutine, coroutine_with_priority
 from esphome.util import Registry
 
@@ -87,6 +86,7 @@ SENSOR_SCHEMA = cv.MQTT_COMPONENT_SCHEMA.extend({
     cv.Optional(CONF_UNIT_OF_MEASUREMENT): unit_of_measurement,
     cv.Optional(CONF_ICON): icon,
     cv.Optional(CONF_ACCURACY_DECIMALS): accuracy_decimals,
+    cv.Optional(CONF_FORCE_UPDATE, default=False): cv.boolean,
     cv.Optional(CONF_EXPIRE_AFTER): cv.All(cv.requires_component('mqtt'),
                                            cv.Any(None, cv.positive_time_period_milliseconds)),
     cv.Optional(CONF_FILTERS): validate_filters,
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ def setup_sensor_core_(var, config):
         cg.add(var.set_icon(config[CONF_ICON]))
     if CONF_ACCURACY_DECIMALS in config:
         cg.add(var.set_accuracy_decimals(config[CONF_ACCURACY_DECIMALS]))
+    cg.add(var.set_force_update(config[CONF_FORCE_UPDATE]))
     if CONF_FILTERS in config:
         filters = yield build_filters(config[CONF_FILTERS])
         cg.add(var.set_filters(filters))
diff --git a/esphome/components/sensor/sensor.h b/esphome/components/sensor/sensor.h
index 1c7c854394..14ace91b35 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sensor/sensor.h
+++ b/esphome/components/sensor/sensor.h
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ namespace sensor {
     if (!obj->unique_id().empty()) { \
       ESP_LOGV(TAG, prefix "  Unique ID: '%s'", obj->unique_id().c_str()); \
     } \
+    if (obj->get_force_update()) { \
+      ESP_LOGV(TAG, prefix "  Force Update: YES"); \
+    } \
   }
 
 /** Base-class for all sensors.
@@ -142,6 +145,15 @@ class Sensor : public Nameable {
 
   void internal_send_state_to_frontend(float state);
 
+  bool get_force_update() const { return force_update_; }
+  /** Set this sensor's force_update mode.
+   *
+   * If the sensor is in force_update mode, the frontend is required to save all
+   * state changes to the database when they are published, even if the state is the
+   * same as before.
+   */
+  void set_force_update(bool force_update) { force_update_ = force_update; }
+
  protected:
   /** Override this to set the Home Assistant unit of measurement for this sensor.
    *
@@ -174,6 +186,7 @@ class Sensor : public Nameable {
   optional<int8_t> accuracy_decimals_;
   Filter *filter_list_{nullptr};  ///< Store all active filters.
   bool has_state_{false};
+  bool force_update_{false};
 };
 
 class PollingSensorComponent : public PollingComponent, public Sensor {
diff --git a/esphome/const.py b/esphome/const.py
index 524031da8c..ac020d00e6 100644
--- a/esphome/const.py
+++ b/esphome/const.py
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ CONF_FILTERS = 'filters'
 CONF_FILTER_OUT = 'filter_out'
 CONF_FLASH_LENGTH = 'flash_length'
 CONF_FOR = 'for'
+CONF_FORCE_UPDATE = 'force_update'
 CONF_FORMALDEHYDE = 'formaldehyde'
 CONF_FORMAT = 'format'
 CONF_FREQUENCY = 'frequency'
diff --git a/tests/test1.yaml b/tests/test1.yaml
index 5caa03cf03..2fbef9d4f7 100644
--- a/tests/test1.yaml
+++ b/tests/test1.yaml
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ sensor:
     accuracy_decimals: 5
     expire_after: 120s
     setup_priority: -100
+    force_update: true
     filters:
       - offset: 2.0
       - multiply: 1.2