diff --git a/R/collapse_rows.R b/R/collapse_rows.R
index 81c8f97..cb64a8e 100644
--- a/R/collapse_rows.R
+++ b/R/collapse_rows.R
@@ -9,18 +9,21 @@
 #' @param kable_input Output of `knitr::kable()` with `format` specified
 #' @param columns A numeric value or vector indicating in which column(s) rows
 #' need to be collapsed.
-#' @param valign Select from "top", "middle"(default), "bottom". The reason why
+#' @param valign Select from "top", "middle" (default), "bottom". The reason why
 #' "top" is not default is that the multirow package on CRAN win-builder is
 #' not up to date.
+#' Only used when `row_group_label_position` is `identity`.
 #' @param latex_hline Option controlling the behavior of adding hlines to table.
 #' Choose from `full`, `major`, `none`, `custom` and `linespace`.
 #' @param custom_latex_hline Numeric column positions whose collapsed rows will
 #' be separated by hlines.
 #' @param row_group_label_position Option controlling positions of row group
-#' labels. Choose from `identity`, `stack`.
+#' labels. Choose from `identity`, `stack`, or `first` -- the latter behaves
+#' like `identity` when `row_group_label_position` is `top` but without using
+#' the multirow package.
 #' @param row_group_label_fonts A list of arguments that can be supplied to
 #' group_rows function to format the row group label when
-#' `row_group_label_position` is `stack`
+#' `row_group_label_position` is `stack`.
 #' @param headers_to_remove Numeric column positions where headers should be
 #' removed when they are stacked.
 #' @param target If multiple columns are selected to do collapsing and a target
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@
                           valign = c("middle", "top", "bottom"),
                           latex_hline = c("full", "major", "none", "custom",
                                           "linespace"),
-                          row_group_label_position = c('identity', 'stack'),
+                          row_group_label_position = c("identity", "stack", "first"),
                           custom_latex_hline = NULL,
                           row_group_label_fonts = NULL,
                           headers_to_remove = NULL,
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@
   if (kable_format == "latex") {
     latex_hline <- match.arg(latex_hline)
     row_group_label_position <- match.arg(row_group_label_position,
-                                          c('identity', 'stack'))
+                                          c("identity", "stack", "first"))
     return(collapse_rows_latex(kable_input, columns, latex_hline, valign,
       row_group_label_position, row_group_label_fonts, custom_latex_hline,
       headers_to_remove, target, col_names, longtable_clean_cut))
@@ -200,6 +203,10 @@
         if(columns[j] < ncol(collapse_matrix) || collapse_matrix_rev[i, j] == 0){
           new_kable_dt[i, columns[j]] <- ''
         }
+      } else if(row_group_label_position == 'first'){
+        if(columns[j] <= ncol(collapse_matrix) && collapse_matrix_rev[i, j] == 0){
+          new_kable_dt[i, columns[j]] <- ''
+        }
       } else {
         new_kable_dt[i, columns[j]] <- collapse_new_dt_item(
           kable_dt[i, columns[j]], collapse_matrix[i, j], column_width,
diff --git a/man/collapse_rows.Rd b/man/collapse_rows.Rd
index 8efcb55..a78e29d 100644
--- a/man/collapse_rows.Rd
+++ b/man/collapse_rows.Rd
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   columns = NULL,
   valign = c("middle", "top", "bottom"),
   latex_hline = c("full", "major", "none", "custom", "linespace"),
-  row_group_label_position = c("identity", "stack"),
+  row_group_label_position = c("identity", "stack", "first"),
   custom_latex_hline = NULL,
   row_group_label_fonts = NULL,
   headers_to_remove = NULL,
@@ -24,22 +24,25 @@
 \item{columns}{A numeric value or vector indicating in which column(s) rows
 need to be collapsed.}
 
-\item{valign}{Select from "top", "middle"(default), "bottom". The reason why
+\item{valign}{Select from "top", "middle" (default), "bottom". The reason why
 "top" is not default is that the multirow package on CRAN win-builder is
-not up to date.}
+not up to date.
+Only used when \code{row_group_label_position} is \code{identity}.}
 
 \item{latex_hline}{Option controlling the behavior of adding hlines to table.
 Choose from \code{full}, \code{major}, \code{none}, \code{custom} and \code{linespace}.}
 
 \item{row_group_label_position}{Option controlling positions of row group
-labels. Choose from \code{identity}, \code{stack}.}
+labels. Choose from \code{identity}, \code{stack}, or \code{first} -- the latter behaves
+like \code{identity} when \code{row_group_label_position} is \code{top} but without using
+the multirow package.}
 
 \item{custom_latex_hline}{Numeric column positions whose collapsed rows will
 be separated by hlines.}
 
 \item{row_group_label_fonts}{A list of arguments that can be supplied to
 group_rows function to format the row group label when
-\code{row_group_label_position} is \code{stack}}
+\code{row_group_label_position} is \code{stack}.}
 
 \item{headers_to_remove}{Numeric column positions where headers should be
 removed when they are stacked.}
diff --git a/vignettes/awesome_table_in_pdf.Rmd b/vignettes/awesome_table_in_pdf.Rmd
index 7025dd7..25518b7 100644
--- a/vignettes/awesome_table_in_pdf.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/awesome_table_in_pdf.Rmd
@@ -493,7 +493,9 @@
 ## Group rows via multi-row cell
 Function `pack_rows` is great for showing simple structural information on rows but sometimes people may need to show structural information with multiple layers. When it happens, you may consider using `collapse_rows` instead, which will put repeating cells in columns into multi-row cells.  
 
-In LaTeX, `collapse_rows` adds some extra hlines to help differentiate groups. You can customize this behavior using the `latex_hline` argument. You can choose from `full` (default), `major` and `none`. Vertical alignment of cells is controlled by the `valign` option. You can choose from "top", "middle"(default) and "bottom". Be cautious that the vertical alignment option was only introduced in multirow in 2016. If you are using a legacy LaTeX distribution, you will run into trouble if you set `valign` to be either "top" or "bottom".
+In LaTeX, `collapse_rows` adds some extra hlines to help differentiate groups. You can customize this behavior using the `latex_hline` argument. You can choose from `full` (default), `major` and `none`.
+
+Vertical alignment of cells (with the default `row_group_label_position = "identity")`) is controlled by the `valign` option. You can choose from "top", "middle" (default) and "bottom". Be cautious that the vertical alignment option was only introduced in multirow in 2016. If you are using a legacy LaTeX distribution, you will run into trouble if you set `valign` to be either "top" or "bottom". Alternatively, use `row_group_label_position = "first"`, which will put the row group labels into the first row without using the `\multirow` LaTeX command at all.
 
 ```{r}
 collapse_rows_dt <- data.frame(C1 = c(rep("a", 10), rep("b", 5)),
@@ -502,7 +504,7 @@
                  C4 = sample(c(0,1), 15, replace = TRUE))
 kbl(collapse_rows_dt, booktabs = T, align = "c") %>%
   column_spec(1, bold=T) %>%
-  collapse_rows(columns = 1:2, latex_hline = "major", valign = "middle")
+  collapse_rows(columns = 1:2, latex_hline = "major", row_group_label_position = "first")
 ```
 
 Right now, you can't automatically make striped rows based on collapsed rows but you can do it manually via the `extra_latex_after` option in `row_spec`. This feature is not officially supported. I'm only document it here if you want to give it a try.