diff --git a/crates/ruf4/src/draw.rs b/crates/ruf4/src/draw.rs
index 97e6621..ac95ba5 100644
--- a/crates/ruf4/src/draw.rs
+++ b/crates/ruf4/src/draw.rs
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ fn draw_single_panel(
             }
         } else if entry.selected {
             ctx.attr_foreground_rgba(ctx.indexed(theme.file_selected));
+        } else if entry.is_hidden {
+            ctx.attr_foreground_rgba(ctx.indexed(theme.file_hidden));
         } else if entry.is_dir {
             ctx.attr_foreground_rgba(ctx.indexed(theme.file_dir));
         } else if entry.is_executable {
diff --git a/crates/ruf4/src/panel.rs b/crates/ruf4/src/panel.rs
index f407552..6de2e85 100644
--- a/crates/ruf4/src/panel.rs
+++ b/crates/ruf4/src/panel.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ pub struct FileEntry {
     pub is_hardlink: bool,
     pub is_executable: bool,
     pub is_readonly: bool,
+    pub is_hidden: bool,
     pub size: u64,
     pub modified: Option<SystemTime>,
     pub selected: bool,
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ impl Panel {
                 is_hardlink: false,
                 is_executable: false,
                 is_readonly: false,
+                is_hidden: false,
                 size: 0,
                 modified: None,
                 selected: false,
@@ -144,18 +146,18 @@ impl Panel {
             for entry in iter.flatten() {
                 let name = entry.file_name().to_string_lossy().into_owned();
 
-                if !self.show_hidden && name.starts_with('.') {
-                    continue;
-                }
-
                 let is_symlink = entry.file_type().map(|t| t.is_symlink()).unwrap_or(false);
-                // Follow symlinks: fs::metadata resolves the target,
-                // while entry.metadata() returns the symlink itself.
                 let metadata = if is_symlink {
                     fs::metadata(entry.path()).ok()
                 } else {
                     entry.metadata().ok()
                 };
+
+                let is_hidden = platform::is_hidden(&name, metadata.as_ref());
+                if !self.show_hidden && is_hidden {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 let is_dir = metadata.as_ref().map(|m| m.is_dir()).unwrap_or(false);
                 let size = metadata.as_ref().map(|m| m.len()).unwrap_or(0);
                 let modified = metadata.as_ref().and_then(|m| m.modified().ok());
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ impl Panel {
                     is_hardlink,
                     is_executable,
                     is_readonly,
+                    is_hidden,
                     size,
                     modified,
                     selected: false,
@@ -449,6 +452,7 @@ pub fn make_entry(name: &str, is_dir: bool, size: u64) -> FileEntry {
         is_hardlink: false,
         is_executable: false,
         is_readonly: false,
+        is_hidden: false,
         size,
         modified: None,
         selected: false,
diff --git a/crates/ruf4/src/platform.rs b/crates/ruf4/src/platform.rs
index caa8476..26eac8d 100644
--- a/crates/ruf4/src/platform.rs
+++ b/crates/ruf4/src/platform.rs
@@ -214,6 +214,35 @@ pub fn disk_free(_path: &Path) -> Option<u64> {
 
 // ── File properties ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+/// Detect whether a file should be considered hidden.
+/// On Unix: dot-prefix. On Windows: FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN or FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+pub fn is_hidden(name: &str, _metadata: Option<&std::fs::Metadata>) -> bool {
+    name.starts_with('.')
+}
+
+#[cfg(windows)]
+pub fn is_hidden(name: &str, metadata: Option<&std::fs::Metadata>) -> bool {
+    use std::os::windows::fs::MetadataExt;
+    const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN: u32 = 0x2;
+    const FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM: u32 = 0x4;
+    if name.starts_with('.') {
+        return true;
+    }
+    if let Some(m) = metadata {
+        let attrs = m.file_attributes();
+        if attrs & (FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM) != 0 {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+    false
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(any(unix, windows)))]
+pub fn is_hidden(name: &str, _metadata: Option<&std::fs::Metadata>) -> bool {
+    name.starts_with('.')
+}
+
 /// Detect whether a file is a hard link and/or executable.
 /// Returns `(is_hardlink, is_executable)`.
 #[cfg(unix)]
diff --git a/crates/ruf4/src/theme.rs b/crates/ruf4/src/theme.rs
index 1e2cd0c..8cd7b0a 100644
--- a/crates/ruf4/src/theme.rs
+++ b/crates/ruf4/src/theme.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pub struct Theme {
     pub file_dir: IndexedColor,
     pub file_executable: IndexedColor,
     pub file_readonly: IndexedColor,
+    pub file_hidden: IndexedColor,
     pub file_normal: IndexedColor,
 
     // ── Preview panel ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ pub const THEME_FIELDS: &[&str] = &[
     "file_dir",
     "file_executable",
     "file_readonly",
+    "file_hidden",
     "file_normal",
     "preview_border",
     "preview_text",
@@ -230,6 +232,7 @@ impl Theme {
             "file_dir" => self.file_dir,
             "file_executable" => self.file_executable,
             "file_readonly" => self.file_readonly,
+            "file_hidden" => self.file_hidden,
             "file_normal" => self.file_normal,
             "preview_border" => self.preview_border,
             "preview_text" => self.preview_text,
@@ -300,6 +303,7 @@ impl Theme {
             "file_dir" => self.file_dir = color,
             "file_executable" => self.file_executable = color,
             "file_readonly" => self.file_readonly = color,
+            "file_hidden" => self.file_hidden = color,
             "file_normal" => self.file_normal = color,
             "preview_border" => self.preview_border = color,
             "preview_text" => self.preview_text = color,
@@ -375,7 +379,8 @@ impl Theme {
             file_selected: IndexedColor::BrightYellow,
             file_dir: IndexedColor::BrightWhite,
             file_executable: IndexedColor::BrightGreen,
-            file_readonly: IndexedColor::BrightBlack,
+            file_readonly: IndexedColor::Red,
+            file_hidden: IndexedColor::BrightBlack,
             file_normal: IndexedColor::White,
 
             // Preview