diff --git a/packages/table/src/cell/formats/jsonFormat.tsx b/packages/table/src/cell/formats/jsonFormat.tsx
index 388853119a..c4872d0776 100644
--- a/packages/table/src/cell/formats/jsonFormat.tsx
+++ b/packages/table/src/cell/formats/jsonFormat.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import * as classNames from "classnames";
 import * as PureRender from "pure-render-decorator";
 import * as React from "react";
-import { ITruncatedFormatProps, TruncatedFormat } from "./truncatedFormat";
+import { ITruncatedFormatProps, TruncatedFormat, TruncatedPopover } from "./truncatedFormat";
 
 /* istanbul ignore next */
 export interface IJSONFormatProps extends ITruncatedFormatProps {
@@ -38,15 +38,28 @@ export class JSONFormat extends React.Component<IJSONFormatProps, {}> {
 
     public render() {
         const { children, omitQuotesOnStrings, stringify } = this.props;
+
+        const isNully = children === undefined || children === null;
+        const showPopover = isNully ? TruncatedPopover.NEVER : TruncatedPopover.ALWAYS;
         const className = classNames(this.props.className, {
-          "bp-table-null": children === undefined || children === null,
+          "bp-table-null": isNully,
         });
+
         let displayValue = "";
         if (omitQuotesOnStrings && typeof children === "string") {
             displayValue = children;
         } else {
             displayValue = stringify(children);
         }
-        return <TruncatedFormat {...this.props} className={className}>{displayValue}</TruncatedFormat>;
+
+        return (
+            <TruncatedFormat
+                {...this.props}
+                className={className}
+                showPopover={showPopover}
+            >
+                {displayValue}
+            </TruncatedFormat>
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/table/src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat.tsx b/packages/table/src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat.tsx
index 36cc84bd7a..b9dd575811 100644
--- a/packages/table/src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat.tsx
+++ b/packages/table/src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ import * as classNames from "classnames";
 import * as PureRender from "pure-render-decorator";
 import * as React from "react";
 
+export enum TruncatedPopover {
+    ALWAYS,
+    NEVER,
+    WHEN_TRUNCATED,
+}
+
 export interface ITruncatedFormatProps extends IProps {
     children?: string;
 
@@ -20,6 +26,16 @@ export interface ITruncatedFormatProps extends IProps {
      */
     preformatted?: boolean;
 
+    /**
+     * Configures when the popover is shown with the `TruncatedPopover` enum.
+     *
+     * The enum values are:
+     * - `ALWAYS` - show the popover (default).
+     * - `NEVER` - don't show the popover.
+     * - `WHEN_TRUNCATED` - show the popover only when the text is truncated.
+     */
+    showPopover?: TruncatedPopover;
+
     /**
      * Number of characters that are displayed before being truncated and appended with
      * the `truncationSuffix` prop. A value of 0 will disable truncation.
@@ -32,12 +48,14 @@ export interface ITruncatedFormatProps extends IProps {
      * @default "..."
      */
     truncationSuffix?: string;
+
 }
 
 @PureRender
 export class TruncatedFormat extends React.Component<ITruncatedFormatProps, {}> {
     public static defaultProps: ITruncatedFormatProps = {
         preformatted: true,
+        showPopover: TruncatedPopover.ALWAYS,
         truncateLength: 80,
         truncationSuffix: "...",
     };
@@ -45,14 +63,19 @@ export class TruncatedFormat extends React.Component<ITruncatedFormatProps, {}>
     public render() {
         const { children, preformatted, truncateLength, truncationSuffix } = this.props;
         const content = "" + children;
-        if (truncateLength > 0 && content.length > truncateLength) {
+
+        let cellContent = content;
+        if (truncateLength > 0 && cellContent.length > truncateLength) {
+            cellContent = cellContent.substring(0, truncateLength) + truncationSuffix;
+        }
+
+        if (this.shouldShowPopover(content)) {
             const popoverClasses = classNames(
                 "bp-table-truncated-popover",
                 preformatted ? "bp-table-popover-whitespace-pre" : "bp-table-popover-whitespace-normal",
             );
             const popoverContent = <div className={popoverClasses}>{children}</div>;
             const className = classNames(this.props.className, "bp-table-truncated-format");
-            const truncated = content.substring(0, truncateLength) + truncationSuffix;
             const constraints = [{
                 attachment: "together",
                 pin: true,
@@ -60,7 +83,7 @@ export class TruncatedFormat extends React.Component<ITruncatedFormatProps, {}>
             }];
             return (
                 <div className={className}>
-                    <div className="bp-table-truncated-value">{truncated}</div>
+                    <div className="bp-table-truncated-value">{cellContent}</div>
                     <Popover
                         className="bp-table-truncated-popover-target"
                         constraints={constraints}
@@ -74,7 +97,22 @@ export class TruncatedFormat extends React.Component<ITruncatedFormatProps, {}>
             );
         } else {
             const className = classNames(this.props.className, "bp-table-truncated-text");
-            return <div className={className}>{content}</div>;
+            return <div className={className}>{cellContent}</div>;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private shouldShowPopover(content: string) {
+        const { showPopover, truncateLength } = this.props;
+
+        switch (showPopover) {
+            case TruncatedPopover.ALWAYS:
+                return true;
+            case TruncatedPopover.NEVER:
+                return false;
+            case TruncatedPopover.WHEN_TRUNCATED:
+                return (truncateLength > 0 && content.length > truncateLength);
+            default:
+                return false;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/table/src/index.ts b/packages/table/src/index.ts
index 45c8320ded..a75803d3b9 100644
--- a/packages/table/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/table/src/index.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export {
 } from "./cell/formats/jsonFormat";
 
 export {
+    TruncatedPopover,
     TruncatedFormat,
     ITruncatedFormatProps,
 } from "./cell/formats/truncatedFormat";
diff --git a/packages/table/test/formatsTests.tsx b/packages/table/test/formatsTests.tsx
index 7b03a7f04d..02dc0de375 100644
--- a/packages/table/test/formatsTests.tsx
+++ b/packages/table/test/formatsTests.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import { expect } from "chai";
 import * as React from "react";
 import { JSONFormat } from "../src/cell/formats/jsonFormat";
-import { TruncatedFormat } from "../src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat";
+import { TruncatedFormat, TruncatedPopover } from "../src/cell/formats/truncatedFormat";
 import { ReactHarness } from "./harness";
 
 describe("Formats", () => {
@@ -42,12 +42,20 @@ describe("Formats", () => {
 
             const comp = harness.mount(<TruncatedFormat>{str}</TruncatedFormat>);
             expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-value").text()).to.have.lengthOf(83);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.exist;
         });
 
-        it("doesn't truncate if text is short enough", () => {
+        it("shows popover by default even if text is short", () => {
             const str = `quote from Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins`;
             const comp = harness.mount(<TruncatedFormat>{str}</TruncatedFormat>);
-            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.have.lengthOf(str.length);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.exist;
+        });
+
+        it("doesn't show popover if text is short enough, when configured", () => {
+            const str = `quote from Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins`;
+            /* tslint:disable-next-line:max-line-length */
+            const comp = harness.mount(<TruncatedFormat showPopover={TruncatedPopover.WHEN_TRUNCATED}>{str}</TruncatedFormat>);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.not.exist;
         });
 
         it("doesn't truncate if truncation length is 0", () => {
@@ -89,7 +97,7 @@ describe("Formats", () => {
                 Be all my sins remembered.
             `;
             const comp = harness.mount(<TruncatedFormat truncateLength={0}>{str}</TruncatedFormat>);
-            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.have.lengthOf(str.length);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-value").text()).to.have.lengthOf(str.length);
         });
     });
 
@@ -101,17 +109,21 @@ describe("Formats", () => {
             };
             const str = JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2);
             const comp = harness.mount(<JSONFormat>{obj}</JSONFormat>);
-            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.equal(str);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.exist;
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-value").text()).to.equal(str);
         });
 
         it("omits quotes on strings and null-likes", () => {
             let comp = harness.mount(<JSONFormat>{"a string"}</JSONFormat>);
-            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.equal("a string");
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.exist;
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-value").text()).to.equal("a string");
 
             comp = harness.mount(<JSONFormat>{null}</JSONFormat>);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.not.exist;
             expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.equal("null");
 
             comp = harness.mount(<JSONFormat>{undefined}</JSONFormat>);
+            expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-popover-target").element).to.not.exist;
             expect(comp.find(".bp-table-truncated-text").text()).to.equal("undefined");
         });
     });