diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f1f64e5d9..e19c97ea5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ Complete documentation for these methods is coming with: https://github.com/ipfs
 
 > `ipfs.util.addFromFs(path, option, callback)`
 
-Reads a file from `path` on the filesystem  and adds it to IPFS. If `path` is a directory, use option `{ recursive: true }` to add the directory and all its sub-directories. To exclude fileglobs from the directory, use option `{ ignore: ['ignore/this/folder/**', 'and/this/file'] }`.
+Reads a file or folder from `path` on the filesystem  and adds it to IPFS. Options:
+- **recursive**: If `path` is a directory, use option `{ recursive: true }` to add the directory and all its sub-directories.
+  - **ignore**: To exclude fileglobs from the directory, use option `{ ignore: ['ignore/this/folder/**', 'and/this/file'] }`.
+  - **hidden**: hidden/dot files (files or folders starting with a `.`, for example, `.git/`) are not included by default. To add them, use the option `{ hidden: true }`. 
 
 ```JavaScript
 ipfs.util.addFromFs('path/to/a/folder', { recursive: true , ignore: ['subfolder/to/ignore/**']}, (err, result) => {
diff --git a/src/get-files-stream.js b/src/get-files-stream.js
index 73e113c8c..17a65ad5e 100644
--- a/src/get-files-stream.js
+++ b/src/get-files-stream.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ function loadPaths (opts, file) {
     const globEscapedDir = escape(file) + (file.endsWith('/') ? '' : '/')
     const mg = new glob.sync.GlobSync(`${globEscapedDir}**/*`, {
       follow: followSymlinks,
+      dot: opts.hidden,
       ignore: (opts.ignore || []).map(function (ignoreGlob) {
         return globEscapedDir + ignoreGlob
       })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-folder/.hiddenTest.txt b/test/fixtures/test-folder/.hiddenTest.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..880fecc33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-folder/.hiddenTest.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Aha! You found me!
diff --git a/test/ipfs-api/util.spec.js b/test/ipfs-api/util.spec.js
index 3ee8619b5..374142266 100644
--- a/test/ipfs-api/util.spec.js
+++ b/test/ipfs-api/util.spec.js
@@ -42,40 +42,53 @@ describe('.util', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('.fsAdd a directory', (done) => {
-    const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-folder')
-    ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true }, (err, result) => {
-      expect(err).to.not.exist
-      expect(result.length).to.be.above(8)
-      done()
+  describe('.fsAdd should add', () => {
+    it('a directory', (done) => {
+      const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-folder')
+      ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true }, (err, result) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        expect(result.length).to.be.above(8)
+        done()
+      })
     })
-  })
 
-  it('.fsAdd a directory with an odd name', (done) => {
-    const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/weird name folder [v0]')
-    ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true }, (err, result) => {
-      expect(err).to.not.exist
-      expect(result.length).to.be.above(8)
-      done()
+    it('a directory with an odd name', (done) => {
+      const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/weird name folder [v0]')
+      ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true }, (err, result) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        expect(result.length).to.be.above(8)
+        done()
+      })
     })
-  })
 
-  it('.fsAdd add and ignore a directory', (done) => {
-    const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-folder')
-    ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true, ignore: ['files/**'] }, (err, result) => {
-      expect(err).to.not.exist
-      expect(result.length).to.be.below(9)
-      done()
+    it('add and ignore a directory', (done) => {
+      const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-folder')
+      ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true, ignore: ['files/**'] }, (err, result) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        expect(result.length).to.be.below(9)
+        done()
+      })
     })
-  })
 
-  it('.fsAdd a file', (done) => {
-    const filePath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/testfile.txt')
-    ipfs.util.addFromFs(filePath, (err, result) => {
-      expect(err).to.not.exist
-      expect(result.length).to.be.equal(1)
-      expect(result[0].path).to.be.equal('testfile.txt')
-      done()
+    it('a file', (done) => {
+      const filePath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/testfile.txt')
+      ipfs.util.addFromFs(filePath, (err, result) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        expect(result.length).to.be.equal(1)
+        expect(result[0].path).to.be.equal('testfile.txt')
+        done()
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('a hidden file in a directory', (done) => {
+      const filesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-folder')
+      ipfs.util.addFromFs(filesPath, { recursive: true, hidden: true }, (err, result) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        expect(result.length).to.be.above(10)
+        expect(result.map(object => object.path)).to.include('test-folder/.hiddenTest.txt')
+        expect(result.map(object => object.hash)).to.include('QmdbAjVmLRdpFyi8FFvjPfhTGB2cVXvWLuK7Sbt38HXrtt')
+        done()
+      })
     })
   })