diff --git a/python/core/qgsbrowsermodel.sip b/python/core/qgsbrowsermodel.sip
index f93c35bb62f..cfe825ac5a1 100644
--- a/python/core/qgsbrowsermodel.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgsbrowsermodel.sip
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ class QgsBrowserModel : QAbstractItemModel
     void removeFavourite( const QModelIndex &index );
     void updateProjectHome();
 
+    void hidePath( QgsDataItem *item );
+
   protected:
     // populates the model
     void addRootItems();
diff --git a/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.cpp b/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.cpp
index 01a681ad202..35755b5e6a0 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.cpp
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ void QgsBrowserDockWidget::showContextMenu( const QPoint & pt )
       menu->addAction( tr( "Remove favourite" ), this, SLOT( removeFavourite() ) );
     }
     menu->addAction( tr( "Properties" ), this, SLOT( showProperties() ) );
+    menu->addAction( tr( "Hide from browser" ), this, SLOT( hideItem() ) );
     QAction *action = menu->addAction( tr( "Fast scan this dir." ), this, SLOT( toggleFastScan() ) );
     action->setCheckable( true );
     action->setChecked( settings.value( "/qgis/scanItemsFastScanUris",
@@ -580,6 +581,19 @@ void QgsBrowserDockWidget::addSelectedLayers()
   QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
 }
 
+void QgsBrowserDockWidget::hideItem()
+{
+  QModelIndex index = mProxyModel->mapToSource( mBrowserView->currentIndex() );
+  QgsDataItem* item = mModel->dataItem( index );
+  if ( ! item )
+    return;
+
+  if ( item->type() == QgsDataItem::Directory )
+  {
+    mModel->hidePath( item );
+  }
+}
+
 void QgsBrowserDockWidget::showProperties()
 {
   QModelIndex index = mProxyModel->mapToSource( mBrowserView->currentIndex() );
diff --git a/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.h b/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.h
index b1302b0a1c7..be30ffd2dfa 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.h
+++ b/src/app/qgsbrowserdockwidget.h
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ class APP_EXPORT QgsBrowserDockWidget : public QDockWidget, private Ui::QgsBrows
     void addCurrentLayer();
     void addSelectedLayers();
     void showProperties();
+    void hideItem();
     void toggleFastScan();
 
     void selectionChanged( const QItemSelection & selected, const QItemSelection & deselected );
diff --git a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
index 15f68fad671..9be752ca188 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
@@ -258,6 +258,16 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl ) :
     }
   }
 
+  QStringList hiddenItems = settings.value( "/browser/hiddenPaths",
+                            QStringList() ).toStringList();
+  QStringList::const_iterator pathIt = hiddenItems.constBegin();
+  for ( ; pathIt != hiddenItems.constEnd(); ++pathIt )
+  {
+    QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListHiddenBrowserPaths );
+    newItem->setText( *pathIt );
+    mListHiddenBrowserPaths->addItem( newItem );
+  }
+
   //Network timeout
   mNetworkTimeoutSpinBox->setValue( settings.value( "/qgis/networkAndProxy/networkTimeout", "60000" ).toInt() );
   leUserAgent->setText( settings.value( "/qgis/networkAndProxy/userAgent", "Mozilla/5.0" ).toString() );
@@ -865,6 +875,8 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl ) :
   mVariableEditor->reloadContext();
   mVariableEditor->setEditableScopeIndex( 0 );
 
+
+
   mAdvancedSettingsEditor->setSettingsObject( &settings );
 
   // restore window and widget geometry/state
@@ -1040,6 +1052,13 @@ void QgsOptions::saveOptions()
   }
   settings.setValue( "composer/searchPathsForTemplates", myPaths );
 
+  QStringList paths;
+  for ( int i = 0; i < mListHiddenBrowserPaths->count(); ++i )
+  {
+    paths << mListHiddenBrowserPaths->item( i )->text();
+  }
+  settings.setValue( "/browser/hiddenPaths", paths );
+
   //Network timeout
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/networkAndProxy/networkTimeout", mNetworkTimeoutSpinBox->value() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/networkAndProxy/userAgent", leUserAgent->text() );
@@ -1692,6 +1711,13 @@ void QgsOptions::on_mBtnAddSVGPath_clicked()
   }
 }
 
+void QgsOptions::on_mBtnRemoveHiddenPath_clicked()
+{
+  int currentRow = mListHiddenBrowserPaths->currentRow();
+  QListWidgetItem* itemToRemove = mListHiddenBrowserPaths->takeItem( currentRow );
+  delete itemToRemove;
+}
+
 void QgsOptions::on_mBtnRemoveSVGPath_clicked()
 {
   int currentRow = mListSVGPaths->currentRow();
diff --git a/src/app/qgsoptions.h b/src/app/qgsoptions.h
index c8098b9059d..eae3cb99a4f 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsoptions.h
+++ b/src/app/qgsoptions.h
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ class APP_EXPORT QgsOptions : public QgsOptionsDialogBase, private Ui::QgsOption
      * used for finding SVG files. */
     void on_mBtnRemoveSVGPath_clicked();
 
+    /* Let the user remove a path from the hidden path list
+     * for the browser */
+    void on_mBtnRemoveHiddenPath_clicked();
+
+
     void on_buttonBox_helpRequested() { QgsContextHelp::run( metaObject()->className() ); }
 
     void on_mBrowseCacheDirectory_clicked();
diff --git a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
index 2f6655fb28c..b5e89731bb6 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ void QgsBrowserModel::addRootItems()
   Q_FOREACH ( const QFileInfo& drive, QDir::drives() )
   {
     QString path = drive.absolutePath();
+
+    if ( QgsDirectoryItem::hiddenPath( path ) )
+      continue;
+
     QgsDirectoryItem *item = new QgsDirectoryItem( NULL, path, path );
 
     connectItem( item );
@@ -529,3 +533,32 @@ void QgsBrowserModel::removeFavourite( const QModelIndex &index )
 
   mFavourites->removeDirectory( item );
 }
+
+void QgsBrowserModel::hidePath( QgsDataItem *item )
+{
+  QSettings settings;
+  QStringList hiddenItems = settings.value( "/browser/hiddenPaths",
+                            QStringList() ).toStringList();
+  int idx = hiddenItems.indexOf( item->path() );
+  if ( idx != -1 )
+  {
+    hiddenItems.removeAt( idx );
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    hiddenItems << item->path();
+  }
+  settings.setValue( "/browser/hiddenPaths", hiddenItems );
+  if ( item->parent() )
+  {
+    item->parent()->deleteChildItem( item );
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    int i = mRootItems.indexOf( item );
+    emit beginRemoveRows( QModelIndex(), i, i );
+    mRootItems.remove( i );
+    item->deleteLater();
+    emit endRemoveRows();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
index fe1544e0c0b..7716460fab9 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsbrowsermodel.h
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsBrowserModel : public QAbstractItemModel
     void removeFavourite( const QModelIndex &index );
     void updateProjectHome();
 
+    void hidePath( QgsDataItem *item );
+
   protected:
     // populates the model
     void addRootItems();
diff --git a/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp b/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
index e6a8814cdc4..701730152e1 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
@@ -787,10 +787,14 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsDirectoryItem::createChildren()
       deleteLater( children );
       return children;
     }
+
     QString subdirPath = dir.absoluteFilePath( subdir );
+
     QgsDebugMsgLevel( QString( "creating subdir: %1" ).arg( subdirPath ), 2 );
 
     QString path = mPath + '/' + subdir; // may differ from subdirPath
+    if ( QgsDirectoryItem::hiddenPath( path ) )
+      continue;
     QgsDirectoryItem *item = new QgsDirectoryItem( this, subdir, subdirPath, path );
     // propagate signals up to top
 
@@ -880,6 +884,15 @@ void QgsDirectoryItem::directoryChanged()
   }
 }
 
+bool QgsDirectoryItem::hiddenPath( QString path )
+{
+  QSettings settings;
+  QStringList hiddenItems = settings.value( "/browser/hiddenPaths",
+                            QStringList() ).toStringList();
+  int idx = hiddenItems.indexOf( path );
+  return ( idx > -1 );
+}
+
 void QgsDirectoryItem::childrenCreated()
 {
   QgsDebugMsg( QString( "mRefreshLater = %1" ).arg( mRefreshLater ) );
diff --git a/src/core/qgsdataitem.h b/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
index 3d86da62b03..cb405efa17d 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
@@ -409,6 +409,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsDirectoryItem : public QgsDataCollectionItem
     //! @note deprecated since 2.10 - use QgsDataItemProviderRegistry
     Q_DECL_DEPRECATED static QVector<QLibrary*> mLibraries;
 
+    static bool hiddenPath( QString path );
+
   public slots:
     virtual void childrenCreated() override;
     void directoryChanged();
diff --git a/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui b/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
index caeddc34de1..9ef57d65833 100644
--- a/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>800</width>
-    <height>600</height>
+    <width>780</width>
+    <height>629</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="minimumSize">
@@ -310,8 +310,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>610</width>
-                <height>670</height>
+                <width>607</width>
+                <height>582</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_28">
@@ -948,8 +948,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>655</width>
-                <height>1057</height>
+                <width>601</width>
+                <height>1014</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_22">
@@ -1376,8 +1376,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>626</width>
-                <height>549</height>
+                <width>618</width>
+                <height>702</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_27">
@@ -1653,6 +1653,52 @@
                  </layout>
                 </widget>
                </item>
+               <item>
+                <widget class="QgsCollapsibleGroupBox" name="groupBox_28">
+                 <property name="title">
+                  <string>Hideen Browser Path</string>
+                 </property>
+                 <layout class="QGridLayout" name="_15">
+                  <item row="0" column="0">
+                   <widget class="QLabel" name="mSVGLabel_4">
+                    <property name="text">
+                     <string>Paths hidden from browser panel</string>
+                    </property>
+                   </widget>
+                  </item>
+                  <item row="0" column="1">
+                   <spacer>
+                    <property name="orientation">
+                     <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+                    </property>
+                    <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+                     <size>
+                      <width>31</width>
+                      <height>20</height>
+                     </size>
+                    </property>
+                   </spacer>
+                  </item>
+                  <item row="1" column="0" colspan="3">
+                   <widget class="QListWidget" name="mListHiddenBrowserPaths">
+                    <property name="minimumSize">
+                     <size>
+                      <width>0</width>
+                      <height>120</height>
+                     </size>
+                    </property>
+                   </widget>
+                  </item>
+                  <item row="0" column="2">
+                   <widget class="QPushButton" name="mBtnRemoveHiddenPath">
+                    <property name="text">
+                     <string>Remove</string>
+                    </property>
+                   </widget>
+                  </item>
+                 </layout>
+                </widget>
+               </item>
                <item>
                 <spacer name="verticalSpacer_8">
                  <property name="orientation">
@@ -1693,8 +1739,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>728</width>
-                <height>802</height>
+                <width>548</width>
+                <height>675</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_29">
@@ -2332,8 +2378,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>171</width>
-                <height>258</height>
+                <width>129</width>
+                <height>231</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_46">
@@ -2428,8 +2474,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>526</width>
-                <height>327</height>
+                <width>453</width>
+                <height>281</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_25">
@@ -2757,8 +2803,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>684</width>
-                <height>602</height>
+                <width>538</width>
+                <height>527</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_30">
@@ -3243,8 +3289,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>504</width>
-                <height>307</height>
+                <width>381</width>
+                <height>271</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_39">
@@ -3439,8 +3485,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>501</width>
-                <height>640</height>
+                <width>374</width>
+                <height>537</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_31">
@@ -3930,8 +3976,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>462</width>
-                <height>372</height>
+                <width>345</width>
+                <height>350</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_6">
@@ -4060,8 +4106,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>565</width>
-                <height>647</height>
+                <width>416</width>
+                <height>595</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_15">
@@ -4297,8 +4343,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>300</width>
-                <height>226</height>
+                <width>225</width>
+                <height>201</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_32">
@@ -4397,8 +4443,8 @@
                <rect>
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
-                <width>531</width>
-                <height>705</height>
+                <width>389</width>
+                <height>634</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_33">