diff --git a/src/dbt_osmosis/core/osmosis.py b/src/dbt_osmosis/core/osmosis.py
index 46b783c..fed19bc 100644
--- a/src/dbt_osmosis/core/osmosis.py
+++ b/src/dbt_osmosis/core/osmosis.py
@@ -306,19 +306,35 @@ class YamlRefactorSettings:
     """Settings for yaml based refactoring operations."""
 
     fqn: str | None = None
+    """Filter models to action via a fully qualified name match."""
     models: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    """Filter models to action via a file path match."""
     dry_run: bool = False
+    """Do not write changes to disk."""
     catalog_file: str | None = None
+    """Path to the dbt catalog.json file to use preferentially instead of live warehouse introspection"""
     skip_add_columns: bool = False
+    """Skip adding missing columns in the yaml files."""
     skip_add_tags: bool = False
+    """Skip appending upstream tags in the yaml files."""
     skip_add_data_types: bool = False
+    """Skip adding data types in the yaml files."""
     numeric_precision: bool = False
+    """Include numeric precision in the data type."""
     char_length: bool = False
+    """Include character length in the data type."""
     skip_merge_meta: bool = False
+    """Skip merging upstream meta fields in the yaml files."""
     add_progenitor_to_meta: bool = False
+    """Add a custom progenitor field to the meta section indicating a column's origin."""
     use_unrendered_descriptions: bool = False
+    """Use unrendered descriptions preserving things like {{ doc(...) }} which are otherwise pre-rendered in the manifest object"""
     add_inheritance_for_specified_keys: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    """Include additional keys in the inheritance process."""
     output_to_lower: bool = False
+    """Force column name and data type output to lowercase in the yaml files."""
+    force_inherit_descriptions: bool = False
+    """Force inheritance of descriptions from upstream models, even if node has a valid description."""
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -1117,7 +1133,9 @@ def _build_column_knowledge_graph(
                     if incoming_val := graph_edge.pop(inheritable, current_val):
                         graph_edge[inheritable] = incoming_val
 
-                if graph_edge.get("description", EMPTY_STRING) in context.placeholders:
+                if graph_edge.get("description", EMPTY_STRING) in context.placeholders or (
+                    generation == "generation_0" and context.settings.force_inherit_descriptions
+                ):
                     _ = graph_edge.pop("description", None)
                 if graph_edge.get("tags") == []:
                     del graph_edge["tags"]
@@ -1210,8 +1228,6 @@ def remove_columns_not_in_database(
     context: YamlRefactorContext, node: ResultNode | None = None
 ) -> None:
     """Remove columns from a dbt node and it's corresponding yaml section that are not present in the database. Changes are implicitly buffered until commit_yamls is called."""
-    if context.settings.skip_add_columns:
-        return
     if node is None:
         for _, node in filter_models(context):
             remove_columns_not_in_database(context, node)
diff --git a/tests/test_column_level_knowledge_propagator.py b/tests/test_column_level_knowledge_propagator.py
index ab1de4d..9440a00 100644
--- a/tests/test_column_level_knowledge_propagator.py
+++ b/tests/test_column_level_knowledge_propagator.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
     DbtConfiguration,
     YamlRefactorContext,
     YamlRefactorSettings,
-    _build_column_knowledge_graph,
     _build_node_ancestor_tree,
     _get_member_yaml,
     create_dbt_project_context,
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ def test_inherit_upstream_column_knowledge(yaml_context: YamlRefactorContext):
             expect[column]["granularity"] = None
 
     target_node = manifest.nodes["model.jaffle_shop_duckdb.customers"]
-    # NOTE: we will only update empty / placeholders descriptions by design
+    # NOTE: we will only update empty / placeholders descriptions by design, see force_inherit_descriptions for legacy behavior
     target_node.columns["customer_id"].description = ""
 
     yaml_context.placeholders = ("",)
@@ -172,8 +171,7 @@ def test_inherit_upstream_column_knowledge(yaml_context: YamlRefactorContext):
 
 
 def test_inherit_upstream_column_knowledge_with_mutations(yaml_context: YamlRefactorContext):
-    yaml_context.settings.skip_add_tags = False
-    yaml_context.settings.skip_merge_meta = False
+    yaml_context.settings.force_inherit_descriptions = True  # NOTE: matches legacy behavior
 
     manifest = yaml_context.project.manifest
     customer_id_column = manifest.nodes["model.jaffle_shop_duckdb.stg_customers"].columns[
@@ -185,9 +183,6 @@ def test_inherit_upstream_column_knowledge_with_mutations(yaml_context: YamlRefa
 
     target_node = manifest.nodes["model.jaffle_shop_duckdb.customers"]
     target_node_customer_id = target_node.columns["customer_id"]
-    target_node_customer_id.description = (
-        ""  # NOTE: allow inheritance to update this, otherwise a valid description would be skipped
-    )
     target_node_customer_id.tags = ["my_tag3", "my_tag4"]
     target_node_customer_id.meta = {"my_key": "my_local_value", "my_new_key": "my_new_value"}