diff --git a/.golangci.reference.yml b/.golangci.reference.yml
index 5a2c65c14ec6..c73eb8da2b4d 100644
--- a/.golangci.reference.yml
+++ b/.golangci.reference.yml
@@ -502,18 +502,42 @@ linters:
       default-case-required: true
 
     exhaustruct:
-      # List of regular expressions to match struct packages and their names.
-      # Regular expressions must match complete canonical struct package/name/structname.
-      # If this list is empty, all structs are tested.
+      # List of regular expressions to match type names that should be processed.
+      # Anonymous structs can be matched by '<anonymous>' alias.
+      #
+      # Each regular expression must match the full type name, including package path.
+      # For example, to match type `net/http.Cookie` regular expression should be `.*/http\.Cookie`,
+      # but not `http\.Cookie`.
       # Default: []
       include:
         - '.+\.Test'
         - 'example\.com/package\.ExampleStruct[\d]{1,2}'
-      # List of regular expressions to exclude struct packages and their names from checks.
-      # Regular expressions must match complete canonical struct package/name/structname.
+      # List of regular expressions to match type names that should be excluded from processing.
+      # Anonymous structs can be matched by '<anonymous>' alias.
+      # Has precedence over `include`.
+      # Each regular expression must match the full type name, including package path.
+      # For example, to match type `net/http.Cookie` regular expression should be `.*/http\.Cookie`,
+      # but not `http\.Cookie`.
       # Default: []
       exclude:
         - '.+/cobra\.Command$'
+      # Allows empty structures, effectively excluding them from the check.
+      # Default: false
+      allow-empty: true
+      # List of regular expressions to match type names that should be allowed to be empty.
+      # Anonymous structs can be matched by '<anonymous>' alias.
+      # Each regular expression must match the full type name, including package path.
+      # For example, to match type `net/http.Cookie` regular expression should be `.*/http\.Cookie`,
+      # but not `http\.Cookie`.
+      # Default: []
+      allow-empty-rx:
+        - '.*/http\.Cookie'
+      # Allows empty structures in return statements.
+      # Default: false
+      allow-empty-returns: true
+      # Allows empty structures in variable declarations.
+      # Default: false
+      allow-empty-declarations: true
 
     fatcontext:
       # Check for potential fat contexts in struct pointers.
diff --git a/docs/data/linters_info.json b/docs/data/linters_info.json
index cca964d3cb8f..6f2da9810049 100644
--- a/docs/data/linters_info.json
+++ b/docs/data/linters_info.json
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
     "originalURL": "https://github.com/nishanths/exhaustive",
     "internal": false,
     "isSlow": true,
-    "since": " v1.28.0"
+    "since": "v1.28.0"
   },
   {
     "name": "exhaustruct",
diff --git a/jsonschema/golangci.jsonschema.json b/jsonschema/golangci.jsonschema.json
index 7c4840521f4a..67cd80a55e98 100644
--- a/jsonschema/golangci.jsonschema.json
+++ b/jsonschema/golangci.jsonschema.json
@@ -1305,6 +1305,28 @@
               "items": {
                 "type": "string"
               }
+            },
+            "allow-empty": {
+              "description": "Allows empty structures, effectively excluding them from the check.",
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": false
+            },
+            "allow-empty-rx": {
+              "description": "List of regular expressions to match type names that should be allowed to be empty.",
+              "type": "array",
+              "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+              }
+            },
+            "allow-empty-returns": {
+              "description": "Allows empty structures in return statements.",
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": false
+            },
+            "allow-empty-declarations": {
+              "description": "Allows empty structures in variable declarations.",
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": false
             }
           }
         },