diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index 619fa4318296..3690138e812a 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/cheggaaa/pb"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreunix"
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ remains to be implemented.
 		cmds.BoolOption(trickleOptionName, "t", "Use trickle-dag format for dag generation"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(onlyHashOptionName, "n", "Only chunk and hash - do not write to disk"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(wrapOptionName, "w", "Wrap files with a directory object"),
-		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden"),
+		cmds.BoolOption(hiddenOptionName, "H", "Include files that are hidden. Only takes effect on recursive add."),
 		cmds.StringOption(chunkerOptionName, "s", "chunking algorithm to use"),
 		cmds.BoolOption(pinOptionName, "Pin this object when adding.  Default true"),
 	},
@@ -147,8 +148,20 @@ remains to be implemented.
 		fileAdder.Silent = silent
 
 		addAllAndPin := func(f files.File) error {
-			if err := fileAdder.AddFile(f); err != nil {
-				return err
+			// Iterate over each top-level file and add individually. Otherwise the
+			// single files.File f is treated as a directory, affecting hidden file
+			// semantics.
+			for {
+				file, err := f.NextFile()
+				if err == io.EOF {
+					// Finished the list of files.
+					break
+				} else if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				if err := fileAdder.AddFile(file); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 
 			if hash {
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add.go b/core/coreunix/add.go
index c898109af551..d0619b6e6808 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add.go
@@ -359,11 +359,7 @@ func (adder *Adder) addFile(file files.File) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	switch {
-	case files.IsHidden(file) && !adder.Hidden:
-		log.Infof("%s is hidden, skipping", file.FileName())
-		return &hiddenFileError{file.FileName()}
-	case file.IsDirectory():
+	if file.IsDirectory() {
 		return adder.addDir(file)
 	}
 
@@ -417,11 +413,13 @@ func (adder *Adder) addDir(dir files.File) error {
 			break
 		}
 
-		err = adder.addFile(file)
-		if _, ok := err.(*hiddenFileError); ok {
-			// hidden file error, skip file
+		// Skip hidden files when adding recursively, unless Hidden is enabled.
+		if files.IsHidden(file) && !adder.Hidden {
+			log.Infof("%s is hidden, skipping", file.FileName())
 			continue
-		} else if err != nil {
+		}
+		err = adder.addFile(file)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh b/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
index d5f7997984fc..05ccf469603d 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0042-add-skip.sh
@@ -48,6 +48,17 @@ test_add_skip() {
 		test_cmp expected actual
 	'
 
+	test_expect_success "'ipfs add' includes hidden files at the top-level even without --hidden" '
+    mkdir -p mountdir/dotfiles &&
+    echo "set nocompatible" > mountdir/dotfiles/.vimrc
+		cat >expected <<-\EOF &&
+      added QmT4uMRDCN7EMpFeqwvKkboszbqeW1kWVGrBxBuCGqZcQc .vimrc
+		EOF
+		ipfs add mountdir/dotfiles/.vimrc >actual
+    cat actual
+		test_cmp expected actual
+	'
+
 }
 
 # should work offline