diff --git a/.rdoc_options b/.rdoc_options
index ab54556487..983bb7512c 100644
--- a/.rdoc_options
+++ b/.rdoc_options
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ exclude:
 - CLAUDE.md
 - lib/rdoc/markdown.kpeg
 
+hide:
+- CVE-2013-0256.rdoc
+- LEGAL.rdoc
+- LICENSE.rdoc
+
 footer_content:
   DOCUMENTATION:
     Home: index.html
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/code_object/top_level.rb b/lib/rdoc/code_object/top_level.rb
index c1c003130e..fcabcb8af5 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/code_object/top_level.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/code_object/top_level.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ class RDoc::TopLevel < RDoc::Context
 
   attr_reader :parser
 
+  ##
+  # Is this page hidden from the sidebar listing?
+
+  attr_accessor :hidden
+
   ##
   # Creates a new TopLevel for the file at +absolute_name+.  If documentation
   # is being generated outside the source dir +relative_name+ is relative to
@@ -49,6 +54,7 @@ def initialize(absolute_name, relative_name = absolute_name)
     @absolute_name = absolute_name
     @relative_name = relative_name
     @parser        = nil
+    @hidden        = false
 
     if relative_name
       @base_name = File.basename(relative_name)
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/generator/json_index.rb b/lib/rdoc/generator/json_index.rb
index 065caa47ea..3203dd95f2 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/generator/json_index.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/generator/json_index.rb
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ def index_pages
     debug_msg "  generating pages search index"
 
     pages = @files.select do |file|
-      file.text?
+      file.text? && !file.hidden
     end
 
     pages.each do |page|
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/generator/template/aliki/_sidebar_pages.rhtml b/lib/rdoc/generator/template/aliki/_sidebar_pages.rhtml
index 2ab60e8552..c16476d645 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/generator/template/aliki/_sidebar_pages.rhtml
+++ b/lib/rdoc/generator/template/aliki/_sidebar_pages.rhtml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<%- simple_files = @files.select { |f| f.text? } %>
+<%- simple_files = @files.select { |f| f.text? && !f.hidden } %>
 <%- if defined?(current) && current.respond_to?(:page_name) %>
   <%- dir = current.full_name[%r{\A[^/]+(?=/)}] || current.page_name %>
 <%- end %>
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/options.rb b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
index 557993a263..edaf01ba37 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/options.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
@@ -168,6 +168,11 @@ class RDoc::Options
 
   attr_writer :exclude
 
+  ##
+  # Pages matching this pattern will be hidden from listings but still generated
+
+  attr_writer :hide
+
   ##
   # The list of files to be processed
 
@@ -409,6 +414,7 @@ def init_ivars # :nodoc:
     @embed_mixins = false
     @exclude = []
     @files = nil
+    @hide = []
     @force_output = false
     @force_update = true
     @generator_name = "darkfish"
@@ -461,6 +467,7 @@ def init_with(map) # :nodoc:
     @charset        = map['charset']
     @embed_mixins   = map['embed_mixins']
     @exclude        = map['exclude']
+    @hide           = map['hide']
     @generator_name = map['generator_name']
     @hyperlink_all  = map['hyperlink_all']
     @line_numbers   = map['line_numbers']
@@ -497,6 +504,7 @@ def override(map) # :nodoc:
     @charset        = map['charset']        if map.has_key?('charset')
     @embed_mixins   = map['embed_mixins']   if map.has_key?('embed_mixins')
     @exclude        = map['exclude']        if map.has_key?('exclude')
+    @hide           = map['hide']           if map.has_key?('hide')
     @generator_name = map['generator_name'] if map.has_key?('generator_name')
     @hyperlink_all  = map['hyperlink_all']  if map.has_key?('hyperlink_all')
     @line_numbers   = map['line_numbers']   if map.has_key?('line_numbers')
@@ -628,6 +636,19 @@ def exclude
     end
   end
 
+  ##
+  # Create a regexp for #hide
+
+  def hide
+    if @hide.nil? || @hide.is_a?(Regexp)
+      @hide
+    elsif @hide.empty?
+      nil
+    else
+      Regexp.new(@hide.join("|"))
+    end
+  end
+
   ##
   # Completes any unfinished option setup business such as filtering for
   # existent files, creating a regexp for #exclude and setting a default
@@ -647,6 +668,7 @@ def finish
     end
 
     @exclude = self.exclude
+    @hide = self.hide
 
     finish_page_dir
 
@@ -865,6 +887,15 @@ def parse(argv)
 
       opt.separator nil
 
+      opt.on("--hide=PATTERN", "-H", Regexp,
+             "Hide pages matching PATTERN from the",
+             "sidebar listing. Pages are still",
+             "generated and linkable.") do |value|
+        @hide << value
+      end
+
+      opt.separator nil
+
       opt.on("--no-skipping-tests", nil,
              "Don't skip generating documentation for test and spec files") do |value|
         @skip_tests = false
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb b/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
index 8beeac52f5..94159d1f72 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/rdoc.rb
@@ -358,6 +358,11 @@ def parse_file(filename)
       cm.done_documenting = false
     end
 
+    # Mark page as hidden if it matches hide patterns
+    if @options.hide&.match?(top_level.relative_name)
+      top_level.hidden = true
+    end
+
     top_level
 
   rescue Errno::EACCES => e
@@ -426,6 +431,32 @@ def remove_unparseable(files)
     end
   end
 
+  ##
+  # Validates that hide patterns match files that will actually be generated.
+  # Emits warnings for patterns that match files that are excluded or not
+  # included for documentation.
+
+  def validate_hide_patterns
+    processed_files = @store.all_files.map(&:relative_name)
+
+    # Find all files that match hide patterns by checking what was actually marked hidden
+    hidden_files = @store.all_files.select(&:hidden).map(&:relative_name)
+
+    # Check each file that matches hide pattern to see if it was actually processed
+    Dir.glob("**/*").each do |file|
+      next unless File.file?(file)
+      next unless @options.hide.match?(file)
+      next if hidden_files.include?(file) || processed_files.include?(file)
+
+      # File matches hide pattern but wasn't processed
+      if @options.exclude&.match?(file)
+        warn "WARNING: '#{file}' is in `hide` but won't be generated because it's also excluded"
+      else
+        warn "WARNING: '#{file}' is in `hide` but won't be generated because it's not included for documentation"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   ##
   # Generates documentation or a coverage report depending upon the settings
   # in +options+.
@@ -466,6 +497,8 @@ def document(options)
 
     file_info = parse_files @options.files
 
+    validate_hide_patterns if @options.hide
+
     @options.default_title = "RDoc Documentation"
 
     @store.complete @options.visibility
diff --git a/test/rdoc/rdoc_options_test.rb b/test/rdoc/rdoc_options_test.rb
index 31da288023..c07daec6bb 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/rdoc_options_test.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/rdoc_options_test.rb
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def test_to_yaml
       'encoding'              => encoding,
       'embed_mixins'          => false,
       'exclude'               => [],
+      'hide'                  => [],
       'hyperlink_all'         => false,
       'line_numbers'          => false,
       'locale_dir'            => 'locale',
@@ -968,6 +969,28 @@ def test_exclude_option_without_default
     assert_not_match exclude, "foo~"
   end
 
+  def test_hide_option
+    @options.parse %w[--hide=doc/internal/.*]
+    hide = @options.hide
+    assert_kind_of Regexp, hide
+    assert_match hide, "doc/internal/foo.md"
+    assert_not_match hide, "doc/public/bar.md"
+  end
+
+  def test_hide_option_multiple
+    @options.parse %w[--hide=doc/internal/.* --hide=doc/fragments/.*]
+    hide = @options.hide
+    assert_kind_of Regexp, hide
+    assert_match hide, "doc/internal/foo.md"
+    assert_match hide, "doc/fragments/bar.md"
+    assert_not_match hide, "doc/public/baz.md"
+  end
+
+  def test_hide_option_empty
+    @options.parse %w[]
+    assert_nil @options.hide
+  end
+
   class DummyCoder < Hash
     alias add :[]=
     def tag=(tag)
diff --git a/test/rdoc/rdoc_rdoc_test.rb b/test/rdoc/rdoc_rdoc_test.rb
index 642e69074b..21bfe671b5 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/rdoc_rdoc_test.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/rdoc_rdoc_test.rb
@@ -579,4 +579,72 @@ def test_normalized_file_list_removes_created_rid_dir
       assert_empty output
     end
   end
+
+  def test_parse_file_hide
+    @rdoc.store = RDoc::Store.new(@options)
+    @rdoc.options.hide = /internal/
+
+    temp_dir do
+      @rdoc.options.root = Pathname(Dir.pwd)
+
+      File.write 'internal.md', '# Hidden Page'
+
+      top_level = @rdoc.parse_file 'internal.md'
+
+      assert top_level.hidden, "Expected internal.md to be hidden"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_parse_file_not_hide
+    @rdoc.store = RDoc::Store.new(@options)
+    @rdoc.options.hide = /internal/
+
+    temp_dir do
+      @rdoc.options.root = Pathname(Dir.pwd)
+
+      File.write 'public.md', '# Public Page'
+
+      top_level = @rdoc.parse_file 'public.md'
+
+      refute top_level.hidden, "Expected public.md to not be hidden"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_validate_hide_patterns_warns_for_excluded_file
+    @rdoc.store = RDoc::Store.new(@options)
+    @rdoc.options.hide = /secret\.md/
+    @rdoc.options.exclude = /secret/
+
+    temp_dir do
+      @rdoc.options.root = Pathname(Dir.pwd)
+
+      File.write 'secret.md', '# Secret'
+
+      _, err = capture_output do
+        @rdoc.validate_hide_patterns
+      end
+
+      assert_match(/secret\.md.*hide.*exclude/, err)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_validate_hide_patterns_warns_for_unprocessed_file
+    @rdoc.store = RDoc::Store.new(@options)
+    @rdoc.options.hide = /notincluded\.md/
+
+    temp_dir do
+      @rdoc.options.root = Pathname(Dir.pwd)
+
+      # Create a file that won't be processed (not in .document)
+      FileUtils.mkdir 'subdir'
+      File.write 'subdir/notincluded.md', '# Not included'
+      File.write 'subdir/.document', '' # empty .document excludes everything
+
+      _, err = capture_output do
+        @rdoc.validate_hide_patterns
+      end
+
+      assert_match(/notincluded\.md.*hide.*not included for documentation/, err)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/rdoc/rdoc_top_level_test.rb b/test/rdoc/rdoc_top_level_test.rb
index a785abf06e..a9a15ef3e1 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/rdoc_top_level_test.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/rdoc_top_level_test.rb
@@ -281,4 +281,17 @@ def test_text_eh_no_parser
     refute rd.text?
   end
 
+  def test_hidden_default
+    t = RDoc::TopLevel.new 'path/file.rb'
+
+    refute t.hidden
+  end
+
+  def test_hidden_set
+    t = RDoc::TopLevel.new 'path/file.rb'
+    t.hidden = true
+
+    assert t.hidden
+  end
+
 end