diff --git a/ldoc.lua b/ldoc.lua
index 90d8eed..727472a 100644
--- a/ldoc.lua
+++ b/ldoc.lua
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ ldoc, a documentation generator for Lua, vs 0.3 Beta
   -d,--dir (default docs) output directory
   -o,--output  (default 'index') output name
   -v,--verbose          verbose
+  -a,--all              show local functions, etc, in docs
   -q,--quiet            suppress output
   -m,--module           module docs as text
   -s,--style (default !) directory for style sheet (ldoc.css)
@@ -558,6 +559,13 @@ for mod in module_list:iter() do
    project:add(mod,module_list)
 end
 
+-- the default is not to show local functions in the documentation.
+if not args.all then
+   for mod in module_list:iter() do
+      mod:mask_locals()
+   end
+end
+
 table.sort(module_list,function(m1,m2)
    return m1.name < m2.name
 end)
diff --git a/ldoc/doc.lua b/ldoc/doc.lua
index 30c8344..2867aaa 100644
--- a/ldoc/doc.lua
+++ b/ldoc/doc.lua
@@ -350,13 +350,11 @@ function Module:resolve_references(modules)
    end
 end
 
--- make a text dump of the contents of this File object.
--- The level of detail is controlled by the 'verbose' parameter.
--- Primarily intended as a debugging tool.
-function File:dump(verbose)
-   for mod in self.modules:iter() do
-      mod:dump(verbose)
-   end
+-- suppress the display of local functions.
+-- This is just a placeholder hack until we have a more general scheme
+-- for indicating 'private' content of a module.
+function Module:mask_locals ()
+   self.kinds['Local Functions'] = nil
 end
 
 function Module:dump(verbose)
@@ -368,6 +366,15 @@ function Module:dump(verbose)
    end
 end
 
+-- make a text dump of the contents of this File object.
+-- The level of detail is controlled by the 'verbose' parameter.
+-- Primarily intended as a debugging tool.
+function File:dump(verbose)
+   for mod in self.modules:iter() do
+      mod:dump(verbose)
+   end
+end
+
 function Item:dump(verbose)
    local tags = self.tags
    local name = self.name