diff --git a/exampleSite/content/yours/_index.en.md b/exampleSite/content/yours/_index.en.md
index 12644ba644..855d6c469e 100644
--- a/exampleSite/content/yours/_index.en.md
+++ b/exampleSite/content/yours/_index.en.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 +++
 chapter = true
+hidden = true
 title = "This could be yours"
 weight = 4
 +++
diff --git a/layouts/partials/footer.html b/layouts/partials/footer.html
index 54e588e069..1d7567368c 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/footer.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/footer.html
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 
         {{ define "menu-nextprev" }}
             {{$currentNode := .currentnode }}
-            {{ if and (ne .menu.Params.hidden true) (ne .menu.Title "") }}
+       		{{ $hidden := or (.menu.Params.hidden) (eq .menu.Title "") }}
+            {{ if not $hidden }}
                 {{if hasPrefix $currentNode.RelPermalink .menu.RelPermalink }}
                     {{ $currentNode.Scratch.Set "NextPageOK" "OK" }}
                     {{ $currentNode.Scratch.Set "prevPage" ($currentNode.Scratch.Get "prevPageTmp") }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/menu.html b/layouts/partials/menu.html
index de7e940cad..859a3bb63b 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/menu.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/menu.html
@@ -105,14 +105,11 @@
 {{ $alwaysopen := .alwaysopen }}
 {{ with $currentNode.File }}{{ $currentFileUniqueID = .UniqueID }}{{ end }}
   {{with .sect}}
-    {{if and .IsSection (or (and (not .Params.hidden) (ne .Title "")) $.showhidden )}}
+		{{ $page_hidden := and (or (.Params.hidden) (eq .Title "")) (not $.showhidden) }}
+    {{if .IsSection }}
       {{safeHTML .Params.head}}
       {{ $currentAlwaysopen := .Params.alwaysopen | default $alwaysopen }}
-      <li data-nav-id="{{.RelPermalink}}" title="{{.Title}}" class="dd-item
-        {{if eq .File.UniqueID $currentFileUniqueID}} active{{end}}
-        {{if .IsAncestor $currentNode }} parent{{end}}
-        {{if $currentAlwaysopen}} alwaysopen{{end}}
-      ">
+      <li data-nav-id="{{.RelPermalink}}" title="{{.Title}}" class="dd-item{{if eq .File.UniqueID $currentFileUniqueID}} active{{end}}{{if .IsAncestor $currentNode }} parent{{end}}{{if $currentAlwaysopen}} alwaysopen{{end}}{{if $page_hidden}} hidden{{end}}">
         <a href="{{.RelPermalink}}">
           {{ partial "menu-pre.html" . }}{{or .Params.menuTitle .LinkTitle .Title}}{{ partial "menu-post.html" . }}
           {{ if $showvisitedlinks}}<i class="fas fa-check read-icon"></i>{{end}}
@@ -126,25 +123,17 @@
 
           {{if eq .Site.Params.ordersectionsby "title"}}
             {{ range $pages.ByTitle }}
-              {{ if and (or (.Params.hidden) (eq .Title "")) (not $.showhidden) }}
-              {{else}}
-                {{ template "section-tree-nav" dict "sect" . "currentnode" $currentNode "showvisitedlinks" $showvisitedlinks "alwaysopen" true}}
-              {{end}}
+              {{ template "section-tree-nav" dict "sect" . "currentnode" $currentNode "showvisitedlinks" $showvisitedlinks "alwaysopen" true}}
             {{ end }}
           {{else}}
             {{ range $pages.ByWeight }}
-            {{ if and (or (.Params.hidden) (eq .Title "")) (not $.showhidden) }}
-            {{else}}
-                {{ template "section-tree-nav" dict "sect" . "currentnode" $currentNode "showvisitedlinks" $showvisitedlinks "alwaysopen" true}}
-              {{end}}
+            {{ template "section-tree-nav" dict "sect" . "currentnode" $currentNode "showvisitedlinks" $showvisitedlinks "alwaysopen" true}}
             {{ end }}
           {{end}}
         </ul>
       </li>
-    {{else if and (not .Params.hidden) (ne .Title "") }}
-      <li data-nav-id="{{.RelPermalink}}" title="{{.Title}}" class="dd-item
-        {{if eq .File.UniqueID $currentFileUniqueID}} active{{end}}
-      ">
+    {{else}}
+      <li data-nav-id="{{.RelPermalink}}" title="{{.Title}}" class="dd-item{{if eq .File.UniqueID $currentFileUniqueID}} active{{end}}">
         <a href="{{ .RelPermalink}}">
           {{ partial "menu-pre.html" . }}{{or .Params.menuTitle .LinkTitle .Title}}{{ partial "menu-post.html" . }}
           {{ if $showvisitedlinks}}<i class="fas fa-check read-icon"></i>{{end}}
diff --git a/layouts/shortcodes/children.html b/layouts/shortcodes/children.html
index 44eec093ac..d1c4a24d7e 100644
--- a/layouts/shortcodes/children.html
+++ b/layouts/shortcodes/children.html
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 
 {{ define "childs" }}
 	{{ range .menu }}
-        {{ if and (or (.Params.hidden) (eq .Title "")) (not $.showhidden) }}
-		{{else}}
+		{{ $hidden := and (or (.Params.hidden) (eq .Title "")) (not $.showhidden) }}
+        {{ if not $hidden }}
 			{{if not .IsHome}}
 				{{if hasPrefix $.style "h"}}
 					{{$num := sub ( int (trim $.style "h") ) 1 }}
diff --git a/static/css/theme.css b/static/css/theme.css
index d4f030d2fb..531a80805c 100644
--- a/static/css/theme.css
+++ b/static/css/theme.css
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ textarea:focus, input[type="email"]:focus, input[type="number"]:focus, input[typ
 #sidebar ul.topics.searched ul {
     display: block;
 }
-#sidebar ul.topics ul {
+#sidebar ul.topics ul, #sidebar ul.topics li.hidden {
     display: none;
 }
 #sidebar ul.topics > li > ul > li:last-child {
@@ -219,7 +219,9 @@ textarea:focus, input[type="email"]:focus, input[type="number"]:focus, input[typ
 #sidebar ul.topics ul ul {
     padding-bottom: 0;
 }
-#sidebar ul.topics li.parent > ul, #sidebar ul.topics li.active > ul, #sidebar ul.topics li.alwaysopen > ul {
+#sidebar ul.topics li.parent > ul, #sidebar ul.topics li.parent.hidden,
+#sidebar ul.topics li.active > ul, #sidebar ul.topics li.active.hidden,
+#sidebar ul.topics li.alwaysopen > ul {
     display: block;
 }
 #sidebar ul.topics > li > a {