diff --git a/src/android/mod.rs b/src/android/mod.rs
index db3dd193..71985533 100644
--- a/src/android/mod.rs
+++ b/src/android/mod.rs
@@ -125,6 +125,12 @@ impl Window {
     pub fn set_title(&self, _: &str) {
     }
 
+    pub fn show(&self) {
+    }
+
+    pub fn hide(&self) {
+    }
+
     pub fn get_position(&self) -> Option<(int, int)> {
         None
     }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 096bae4f..d8c546a9 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ pub struct WindowBuilder {
     monitor: Option<winimpl::MonitorID>,
     gl_version: Option<(uint, uint)>,
     vsync: bool,
+    visible: bool,
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "window")]
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ impl WindowBuilder {
             monitor: None,
             gl_version: None,
             vsync: false,
+            visible: true,
         }
     }
 
@@ -127,6 +129,12 @@ impl WindowBuilder {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Sets whether the window will be initially hidden or visible.
+    pub fn with_visibility(mut self, visible: bool) -> WindowBuilder {
+        self.visible = visible;
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Builds the window.
     ///
     /// Error should be very rare and only occur in case of permission denied, incompatible system,
@@ -252,6 +260,28 @@ impl Window {
         self.window.set_title(title)
     }
 
+    /// Shows the window if it was hidden.
+    ///
+    /// ## Platform-specific
+    ///
+    /// - Has no effect on Android
+    ///
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn show(&self) {
+        self.window.show()
+    }
+
+    /// Hides the window if it was visible.
+    ///
+    /// ## Platform-specific
+    ///
+    /// - Has no effect on Android
+    ///
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn hide(&self) {
+        self.window.hide()
+    }
+
     /// Returns the position of the top-left hand corner of the window relative to the
     ///  top-left hand corner of the desktop.
     ///
diff --git a/src/osx/mod.rs b/src/osx/mod.rs
index 287dcb4c..3e0d668a 100644
--- a/src/osx/mod.rs
+++ b/src/osx/mod.rs
@@ -198,6 +198,12 @@ impl Window {
         unimplemented!()
     }
 
+    pub fn show(&self) {
+    }
+
+    pub fn hide(&self) {
+    }
+
     pub fn get_position(&self) -> Option<(int, int)> {
         unimplemented!()
     }
diff --git a/src/win32/init.rs b/src/win32/init.rs
index 5168cc6f..bf849730 100644
--- a/src/win32/init.rs
+++ b/src/win32/init.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ local_data_key!(WINDOW: (ffi::HWND, Sender<Event>))
 pub fn new_window(builder_dimensions: Option<(uint, uint)>, builder_title: String,
                   builder_monitor: Option<super::MonitorID>,
                   builder_gl_version: Option<(uint, uint)>, builder_vsync: bool,
-                  builder_headless: bool) -> Result<Window, String>
+                  builder_hidden: bool) -> Result<Window, String>
 {
     use std::mem;
     use std::os;
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ pub fn new_window(builder_dimensions: Option<(uint, uint)>, builder_title: Strin
                 (None, None)
             };
 
-            let style = if builder_headless {
+            let style = if builder_hidden {
                 style
             } else {
                 style | ffi::WS_VISIBLE
diff --git a/src/win32/mod.rs b/src/win32/mod.rs
index 35e71697..facfb6dd 100644
--- a/src/win32/mod.rs
+++ b/src/win32/mod.rs
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ pub struct Window {
 impl Window {
     /// See the docs in the crate root file.
     pub fn new(builder: WindowBuilder) -> Result<Window, String> {
-        let WindowBuilder { dimensions, title, monitor, gl_version, vsync } = builder;
-        init::new_window(dimensions, title, monitor, gl_version, vsync, false)
+        let WindowBuilder { dimensions, title, monitor, gl_version, vsync, visible } = builder;
+        init::new_window(dimensions, title, monitor, gl_version, vsync, !visible)
     }
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +91,18 @@ impl Window {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn show(&self) {
+        unsafe {
+            ffi::ShowWindow(self.window, ffi::SW_SHOW);
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn hide(&self) {
+        unsafe {
+            ffi::ShowWindow(self.window, ffi::SW_HIDE);
+        }
+    }
+
     /// See the docs in the crate root file.
     pub fn get_position(&self) -> Option<(int, int)> {
         use std::mem;
diff --git a/src/x11/window/mod.rs b/src/x11/window/mod.rs
index 26d5497f..2d26cbd2 100644
--- a/src/x11/window/mod.rs
+++ b/src/x11/window/mod.rs
@@ -295,6 +295,12 @@ impl Window {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn show(&self) {
+    }
+
+    pub fn hide(&self) {
+    }
+
     fn get_geometry(&self) -> Option<(int, int, uint, uint)> {
         unsafe {
             use std::mem;