diff --git a/notebook/base/handlers.py b/notebook/base/handlers.py
index c57082fd4..3982957ea 100755
--- a/notebook/base/handlers.py
+++ b/notebook/base/handlers.py
@@ -612,8 +612,8 @@ class AuthenticatedFileHandler(IPythonHandler, web.StaticFileHandler):
         """
         abs_path = super(AuthenticatedFileHandler, self).validate_absolute_path(root, absolute_path)
         abs_root = os.path.abspath(root)
-        if is_hidden(abs_path, abs_root):
-            self.log.info("Refusing to serve hidden file, via 404 Error")
+        if is_hidden(abs_path, abs_root) and not self.contents_manager.allow_hidden:
+            self.log.info("Refusing to serve hidden file, via 404 Error, use flag 'ContentsManager.allow_hidden' to enable")
             raise web.HTTPError(404)
         return abs_path
 
diff --git a/notebook/files/handlers.py b/notebook/files/handlers.py
index 3f9fea1fb..b94214984 100644
--- a/notebook/files/handlers.py
+++ b/notebook/files/handlers.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class FilesHandler(IPythonHandler):
     def get(self, path, include_body=True):
         cm = self.contents_manager
 
-        if cm.is_hidden(path):
+        if cm.is_hidden(path) and not cm.allow_hidden:
             self.log.info("Refusing to serve hidden file, via 404 Error")
             raise web.HTTPError(404)
 
diff --git a/notebook/services/contents/filemanager.py b/notebook/services/contents/filemanager.py
index 7d0c7be5d..b8cfbed61 100644
--- a/notebook/services/contents/filemanager.py
+++ b/notebook/services/contents/filemanager.py
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ class FileContentsManager(FileManagerMixin, ContentsManager):
             return getcwd()
 
     save_script = Bool(False, config=True, help='DEPRECATED, use post_save_hook. Will be removed in Notebook 5.0')
-
     @observe('save_script')
     def _update_save_script(self, change):
         if not change['new']:
@@ -288,7 +287,7 @@ class FileContentsManager(FileManagerMixin, ContentsManager):
 
         if not os.path.isdir(os_path):
             raise web.HTTPError(404, four_o_four)
-        elif is_hidden(os_path, self.root_dir):
+        elif is_hidden(os_path, self.root_dir) and not self.allow_hidden:
             self.log.info("Refusing to serve hidden directory %r, via 404 Error",
                 os_path
             )
@@ -426,7 +425,7 @@ class FileContentsManager(FileManagerMixin, ContentsManager):
 
     def _save_directory(self, os_path, model, path=''):
         """create a directory"""
-        if is_hidden(os_path, self.root_dir):
+        if is_hidden(os_path, self.root_dir) and not self.allow_hidden:
             raise web.HTTPError(400, u'Cannot create hidden directory %r' % os_path)
         if not os.path.exists(os_path):
             with self.perm_to_403():
diff --git a/notebook/services/contents/manager.py b/notebook/services/contents/manager.py
index 3cbcbb147..3f1a67241 100644
--- a/notebook/services/contents/manager.py
+++ b/notebook/services/contents/manager.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from nbformat.v4 import new_notebook
 from ipython_genutils.importstring import import_item
 from traitlets import (
     Any,
+    Bool,
     Dict,
     Instance,
     List,
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ class ContentsManager(LoggingConfigurable):
     
     root_dir = Unicode('/', config=True)
 
+    allow_hidden = Bool(False, config=True, help="Allow access to hidden files")
+
     notary = Instance(sign.NotebookNotary)
     def _notary_default(self):
         return sign.NotebookNotary(parent=self)
diff --git a/notebook/tests/test_files.py b/notebook/tests/test_files.py
index 14aa55965..2a3f02a74 100644
--- a/notebook/tests/test_files.py
+++ b/notebook/tests/test_files.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class FilesTest(NotebookTestBase):
                 f.write('foo')
             with open(pjoin(path, '.foo'), 'w') as f:
                 f.write('.foo')
-        
+
         for d in not_hidden:
             path = pjoin(nbdir, d.replace('/', os.sep))
             r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, 'foo'))
@@ -49,13 +49,33 @@ class FilesTest(NotebookTestBase):
             self.assertEqual(r.text, 'foo')
             r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, '.foo'))
             self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 404)
-            
+
         for d in hidden:
             path = pjoin(nbdir, d.replace('/', os.sep))
             for foo in ('foo', '.foo'):
                 r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, foo))
                 self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 404)
-    
+
+        self.notebook.contents_manager.allow_hidden = True
+        try:
+            for d in not_hidden:
+                path = pjoin(nbdir, d.replace('/', os.sep))
+                r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, 'foo'))
+                r.raise_for_status()
+                self.assertEqual(r.text, 'foo')
+                r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, '.foo'))
+                r.raise_for_status()
+                self.assertEqual(r.text, '.foo')
+
+            for d in hidden:
+                path = pjoin(nbdir, d.replace('/', os.sep))
+                for foo in ('foo', '.foo'):
+                    r = self.request('GET', url_path_join('files', d, foo))
+                    r.raise_for_status()
+                    self.assertEqual(r.text, foo)
+        finally:
+            self.notebook.contents_manager.allow_hidden = False
+
     def test_contents_manager(self):
         "make sure ContentsManager returns right files (ipynb, bin, txt)."
 
diff --git a/notebook/tree/handlers.py b/notebook/tree/handlers.py
index 4d7a6f191..ef4252761 100644
--- a/notebook/tree/handlers.py
+++ b/notebook/tree/handlers.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class TreeHandler(IPythonHandler):
         cm = self.contents_manager
         
         if cm.dir_exists(path=path):
-            if cm.is_hidden(path):
+            if cm.is_hidden(path) and not cm.allow_hidden:
                 self.log.info("Refusing to serve hidden directory, via 404 Error")
                 raise web.HTTPError(404)
             breadcrumbs = self.generate_breadcrumbs(path)