diff --git a/python/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.sip b/python/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.sip
index 09d930b9018..fdac9823653 100644
--- a/python/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.sip
+++ b/python/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.sip
@@ -151,6 +151,23 @@ class QgsLayoutContext
 .. seealso:: boundingBoxesVisible()
 %End
 
+    void setPagesVisible( bool visible );
+%Docstring
+ Sets whether the page items should be ``visible`` in the layout. Removing
+ them will prevent both display of the page boundaries in layout views and
+ will also prevent them from being rendered in layout exports.
+.. seealso:: pagesVisible()
+%End
+
+    bool pagesVisible() const;
+%Docstring
+ Returns whether the page items are be visible in the layout. This setting
+ effects both display of the page boundaries in layout views and
+ whether they will be rendered in layout exports.
+.. seealso:: setPagesVisible()
+ :rtype: bool
+%End
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
index beea8b98401..89e2a1fb3f8 100644
--- a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::QgsLayoutDesignerDialog( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFla
   connect( mActionSmartGuides, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::snapToItems );
 
   connect( mActionShowBoxes, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::showBoxes );
+  connect( mActionShowPage, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::showPages );
 
   mView = new QgsLayoutView();
   //mView->setMapCanvas( mQgis->mapCanvas() );
@@ -557,6 +558,7 @@ void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::setCurrentLayout( QgsLayout *layout )
   mActionSnapGuides->setChecked( mLayout->snapper().snapToGuides() );
   mActionSmartGuides->setChecked( mLayout->snapper().snapToItems() );
   mActionShowBoxes->setChecked( mLayout->context().boundingBoxesVisible() );
+  mActionShowPage->setChecked( mLayout->context().pagesVisible() );
 
   connect( mLayout->undoStack()->stack(), &QUndoStack::canUndoChanged, mActionUndo, &QAction::setEnabled );
   connect( mLayout->undoStack()->stack(), &QUndoStack::canRedoChanged, mActionRedo, &QAction::setEnabled );
@@ -671,6 +673,12 @@ void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::showBoxes( bool visible )
   mSelectTool->mouseHandles()->update();
 }
 
+void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::showPages( bool visible )
+{
+  mLayout->context().setPagesVisible( visible );
+  mLayout->pageCollection()->redraw();
+}
+
 void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::snapToGrid( bool enabled )
 {
   mLayout->snapper().setSnapToGrid( enabled );
diff --git a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
index efaa56a4abe..b1b3766a3c5 100644
--- a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
+++ b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
@@ -130,6 +130,11 @@ class QgsLayoutDesignerDialog: public QMainWindow, private Ui::QgsLayoutDesigner
      */
     void showBoxes( bool visible );
 
+    /**
+     * Toggles whether the layout pages should be \a visible.
+     */
+    void showPages( bool visible );
+
     /**
      * Toggles whether snapping to the page grid is \a enabled.
      */
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.cpp
index 8568c55f21a..d6b0f6eb6dd 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.cpp
@@ -97,3 +97,8 @@ void QgsLayoutContext::setBoundingBoxesVisible( bool visible )
 {
   mBoundingBoxesVisible = visible;
 }
+
+void QgsLayoutContext::setPagesVisible( bool visible )
+{
+  mPagesVisible = visible;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.h b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.h
index 5b5f505bd7d..72d0ce7e0af 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.h
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutcontext.h
@@ -163,6 +163,22 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsLayoutContext
      */
     void setBoundingBoxesVisible( bool visible );
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the page items should be \a visible in the layout. Removing
+     * them will prevent both display of the page boundaries in layout views and
+     * will also prevent them from being rendered in layout exports.
+     * \see pagesVisible()
+     */
+    void setPagesVisible( bool visible );
+
+    /**
+     * Returns whether the page items are be visible in the layout. This setting
+     * effects both display of the page boundaries in layout views and
+     * whether they will be rendered in layout exports.
+     * \see setPagesVisible()
+     */
+    bool pagesVisible() const { return mPagesVisible; }
+
   private:
 
     Flags mFlags = 0;
@@ -174,6 +190,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsLayoutContext
 
     bool mGridVisible = false;
     bool mBoundingBoxesVisible = true;
+    bool mPagesVisible = true;
 
 
 };
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitempage.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitempage.cpp
index d06593fa1a4..013367753b5 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitempage.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitempage.cpp
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ void QgsLayoutItemPage::redraw()
 
 void QgsLayoutItemPage::draw( QgsRenderContext &context, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem * )
 {
-  if ( !context.painter() || !mLayout /*|| !mLayout->pagesVisible() */ )
+  if ( !context.painter() || !mLayout || !mLayout->context().pagesVisible() )
   {
     return;
   }
diff --git a/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui b/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
index 58f84e5d4bf..bf6fde386ba 100644
--- a/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
     <addaction name="separator"/>
     <addaction name="mActionShowRulers"/>
     <addaction name="mActionShowBoxes"/>
+    <addaction name="mActionShowPage"/>
     <addaction name="separator"/>
     <addaction name="mToolbarMenu"/>
     <addaction name="mPanelsMenu"/>
@@ -980,6 +981,17 @@
     <string>Simulate Color Blindness (&amp;Deuteranope)</string>
    </property>
   </action>
+  <action name="mActionShowPage">
+   <property name="checkable">
+    <bool>true</bool>
+   </property>
+   <property name="text">
+    <string>Show Pages</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="toolTip">
+    <string>Show pages</string>
+   </property>
+  </action>
  </widget>
  <resources>
   <include location="../../../images/images.qrc"/>
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgslayoutpage.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgslayoutpage.cpp
index d6142cb452f..782642da827 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgslayoutpage.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgslayoutpage.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 #include "qgslayoutitemregistry.h"
 #include "qgis.h"
 #include "qgsproject.h"
+#include "qgssymbol.h"
+#include "qgssinglesymbolrenderer.h"
+#include "qgsfillsymbollayer.h"
+#include "qgslinesymbollayer.h"
 #include <QObject>
 #include "qgstest.h"
 
@@ -37,6 +41,8 @@ class TestQgsLayoutPage : public QObject
     void decodePageOrientation();
     void grid();
 
+    void hiddenPages(); //test hidden page boundaries
+
   private:
     QString mReport;
 
@@ -159,5 +165,33 @@ void TestQgsLayoutPage::grid()
 
 }
 
+void TestQgsLayoutPage::hiddenPages()
+{
+  QgsProject p;
+  QgsLayout l( &p );
+  QgsLayoutItemPage *page = new QgsLayoutItemPage( &l );
+  page->setPageSize( QgsLayoutSize( 297, 210, QgsUnitTypes::LayoutMillimeters ) );
+  l.pageCollection()->addPage( page );
+
+#if 0 //TODO
+  QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayer *simpleFill = new QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayer();
+  QgsFillSymbol *fillSymbol = new QgsFillSymbol();
+  fillSymbol->changeSymbolLayer( 0, simpleFill );
+  simpleFill->setColor( Qt::blue );
+  simpleFill->setStrokeColor( Qt::transparent );
+  mComposition->setPageStyleSymbol( fillSymbol );
+  delete fillSymbol;
+#endif
+
+  l.context().setPagesVisible( false );
+#if 0 //TODO
+  QgsCompositionChecker checker( QStringLiteral( "composerpaper_hidden" ), mComposition );
+  checker.setControlPathPrefix( QStringLiteral( "composer_paper" ) );
+  bool result = checker.testComposition( mReport );
+  mComposition->setPagesVisible( true );
+  QVERIFY( result );
+#endif
+}
+
 QGSTEST_MAIN( TestQgsLayoutPage )
 #include "testqgslayoutpage.moc"