diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index 2fa8de1ca..103332922 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -50,16 +50,16 @@ statusbar_draw(statusbar_t *statusbar)
                    statusbar->colors.bg);
 
     for(w = statusbar->widgets; w; w = w->next)
-        if(w->widget->align == AlignLeft)
+        if(w->widget->isvisible && w->widget->align == AlignLeft)
             left += w->widget->draw(w, statusbar, left, (left + right));
 
     /* renders right widget from last to first */
     for(w = *widget_node_list_last(&statusbar->widgets); w; w = w->prev)
-        if(w->widget->align == AlignRight)
+        if(w->widget->isvisible && w->widget->align == AlignRight)
             right += w->widget->draw(w, statusbar, right, (left + right));
 
     for(w = statusbar->widgets; w; w = w->next)
-        if(w->widget->align == AlignFlex)
+        if(w->widget->isvisible && w->widget->align == AlignFlex)
             left += w->widget->draw(w, statusbar, left, (left + right));
 
     switch(statusbar->position)
diff --git a/structs.h b/structs.h
index e8ba911d4..b9decc388 100644
--- a/structs.h
+++ b/structs.h
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ struct widget_t
     button_t *buttons;
     /** Cache flags */
     int cache_flags;
+    /** True if the widget is visible */
+    bool isvisible;
 };
 
 struct widget_node_t
diff --git a/widget.c b/widget.c
index af77ec721..4f74c1ff8 100644
--- a/widget.c
+++ b/widget.c
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ luaA_widget_new(lua_State *L)
     widget = lua_newuserdata(L, sizeof(widget_t *));
     objpos = lua_gettop(L);
     *widget = w;
+    /* Set visible by default. */
+    w->isvisible = true;
 
     /* \todo check that the name is unique */
     (*widget)->name = luaA_name_init(L);
@@ -352,6 +354,23 @@ luaA_widget_name_get(lua_State *L)
     return 1;
 }
 
+static int
+luaA_widget_visible_set(lua_State *L)
+{
+    widget_t **widget = luaL_checkudata(L, 1, "widget");
+    (*widget)->isvisible = luaA_checkboolean(L, 2);
+    widget_invalidate_statusbar_bywidget(*widget);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+luaA_widget_visible_get(lua_State *L)
+{
+    widget_t **widget = luaL_checkudata(L, 1, "widget");
+    lua_pushboolean(L, (*widget)->isvisible);
+    return 1;
+}
+
 const struct luaL_reg awesome_widget_methods[] =
 {
     { "new", luaA_widget_new },
@@ -364,6 +383,8 @@ const struct luaL_reg awesome_widget_meta[] =
     { "set", luaA_widget_set },
     { "name_set", luaA_widget_name_set },
     { "name_get", luaA_widget_name_get },
+    { "visible_set", luaA_widget_visible_set },
+    { "visible_get", luaA_widget_visible_get },
     { "__gc", luaA_widget_gc },
     { "__eq", luaA_widget_eq },
     { "__tostring", luaA_widget_tostring },