diff --git a/store/store.go b/store/store.go
index 8593c5178..eb8c62123 100644
--- a/store/store.go
+++ b/store/store.go
@@ -289,7 +289,10 @@ func (s *store) Delete(nodePath string, dir, recursive bool) (*Event, error) {
 	// update etcd index
 	s.CurrentIndex++
 
-	s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	if !n.IsHidden() {
+		s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	}
+
 	s.Stats.Inc(DeleteSuccess)
 
 	return e, nil
@@ -429,7 +432,9 @@ func (s *store) Update(nodePath string, newValue string, expireTime time.Time) (
 
 	eNode.Expiration, eNode.TTL = n.ExpirationAndTTL()
 
-	s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	if !n.IsHidden() {
+		s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	}
 
 	s.Stats.Inc(UpdateSuccess)
 
@@ -513,7 +518,10 @@ func (s *store) internalCreate(nodePath string, dir bool, value string, unique,
 
 	s.CurrentIndex = nextIndex
 
-	s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	if !n.IsHidden() {
+		s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+	}
+
 	return e, nil
 }
 
@@ -568,7 +576,10 @@ func (s *store) DeleteExpiredKeys(cutoff time.Time) {
 		node.Remove(true, true, callback)
 
 		s.Stats.Inc(ExpireCount)
-		s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+
+		if !node.IsHidden() {
+			s.WatcherHub.notify(e)
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/store/store_test.go b/store/store_test.go
index 5eae1b46d..c08314250 100644
--- a/store/store_test.go
+++ b/store/store_test.go
@@ -499,6 +499,15 @@ func TestStoreWatchCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store doesn't see hidden key creations.
+func TestStoreWatchCreateWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/_foo", false, false, 0)
+	s.Create("/_foo", false, "bar", false, Permanent)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for recursive key creation.
 func TestStoreWatchRecursiveCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -509,6 +518,15 @@ func TestStoreWatchRecursiveCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foo/bar", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store can watch for recursive key creation.
+func TestStoreWatchRecursiveCreateWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/foo", true, false, 0)
+	s.Create("/foo/_bar", false, "baz", false, Permanent)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for key updates.
 func TestStoreWatchUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -520,6 +538,16 @@ func TestStoreWatchUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foo", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store doesn't see hidden key updates.
+func TestStoreWatchUpdateWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	s.Create("/_foo", false, "bar", false, Permanent)
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/_foo", false, false, 0)
+	s.Update("/_foo", "baz", Permanent)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for recursive key updates.
 func TestStoreWatchRecursiveUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -531,6 +559,16 @@ func TestStoreWatchRecursiveUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foo/bar", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store doesn't get recursive key updates for hidden keys.
+func TestStoreWatchRecursiveUpdateWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	s.Create("/foo/_bar", false, "baz", false, Permanent)
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/foo", true, false, 0)
+	s.Update("/foo/_bar", "baz", Permanent)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for key deletions.
 func TestStoreWatchDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -542,6 +580,16 @@ func TestStoreWatchDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foo", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store doesn't see hidden key deletions.
+func TestStoreWatchDeleteWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	s.Create("/_foo", false, "bar", false, Permanent)
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/foo", false, false, 0)
+	s.Delete("/_foo", false, false)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for recursive key deletions.
 func TestStoreWatchRecursiveDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -553,6 +601,16 @@ func TestStoreWatchRecursiveDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foo/bar", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store can watch for recursive key deletions.
+func TestStoreWatchRecursiveDeleteWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+	s.Create("/foo/_bar", false, "baz", false, Permanent)
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/foo", true, false, 0)
+	s.Delete("/foo/_bar", false, false)
+	e := nbselect(w.EventChan)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch for CAS updates.
 func TestStoreWatchCompareAndSwap(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
@@ -602,6 +660,32 @@ func TestStoreWatchExpire(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foofoo", "")
 }
 
+// Ensure that the store doesn't see expirations of hidden keys.
+func TestStoreWatchExpireWithHiddenKey(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newStore()
+
+	stopChan := make(chan bool)
+	defer func() {
+		stopChan <- true
+	}()
+	go mockSyncService(s.DeleteExpiredKeys, stopChan)
+
+	s.Create("/_foo", false, "bar", false, time.Now().Add(500*time.Millisecond))
+	s.Create("/foofoo", false, "barbarbar", false, time.Now().Add(1000*time.Millisecond))
+
+	w, _ := s.Watch("/", true, false, 0)
+	c := w.EventChan
+	e := nbselect(c)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+	time.Sleep(600 * time.Millisecond)
+	e = nbselect(c)
+	assert.Nil(t, e, "")
+	time.Sleep(600 * time.Millisecond)
+	e = nbselect(c)
+	assert.Equal(t, e.Action, "expire", "")
+	assert.Equal(t, e.Node.Key, "/foofoo", "")
+}
+
 // Ensure that the store can watch in streaming mode.
 func TestStoreWatchStream(t *testing.T) {
 	s := newStore()
diff --git a/store/watcher_hub.go b/store/watcher_hub.go
index aeda171a9..8c2487ab6 100644
--- a/store/watcher_hub.go
+++ b/store/watcher_hub.go
@@ -113,11 +113,11 @@ func (wh *watcherHub) notify(e *Event) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (wh *watcherHub) notifyWatchers(e *Event, path string, deleted bool) {
+func (wh *watcherHub) notifyWatchers(e *Event, nodePath string, deleted bool) {
 	wh.mutex.Lock()
 	defer wh.mutex.Unlock()
 
-	l, ok := wh.watchers[path]
+	l, ok := wh.watchers[nodePath]
 	if ok {
 		curr := l.Front()
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (wh *watcherHub) notifyWatchers(e *Event, path string, deleted bool) {
 
 			w, _ := curr.Value.(*Watcher)
 
-			if w.notify(e, e.Node.Key == path, deleted) {
+			if !isHidden(nodePath) && w.notify(e, e.Node.Key == nodePath, deleted) {
 				if !w.stream { // do not remove the stream watcher
 					// if we successfully notify a watcher
 					// we need to remove the watcher from the list
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (wh *watcherHub) notifyWatchers(e *Event, path string, deleted bool) {
 		if l.Len() == 0 {
 			// if we have notified all watcher in the list
 			// we can delete the list
-			delete(wh.watchers, path)
+			delete(wh.watchers, nodePath)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -156,3 +156,14 @@ func (wh *watcherHub) clone() *watcherHub {
 		EventHistory: clonedHistory,
 	}
 }
+
+// isHidden checks if a path has a hidden key.  since we don't get the Node
+// object for notifyWatchers, we have to duplicate it here. consolidate me?
+func isHidden(nodePath string) bool {
+	_, name := path.Split(nodePath)
+	if name == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return name[0] == '_'
+}