diff --git a/sidebar/default_entries/home.desktop b/sidebar/default_entries/home.desktop
--- a/sidebar/default_entries/home.desktop
+++ b/sidebar/default_entries/home.desktop
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 URL=~
 Icon=user-home
 Open=true
+ShowHiddenFolders=false
 X-KDE-TreeModule=Directory
 X-KDE-KonqSidebarModule=konqsidebar_tree
 X-KDE-Weight=10
diff --git a/sidebar/default_entries/root.desktop b/sidebar/default_entries/root.desktop
--- a/sidebar/default_entries/root.desktop
+++ b/sidebar/default_entries/root.desktop
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 Icon=folder-red
 #Icon=folder-orange
 Open=true
+ShowHiddenFolders=false
 X-KDE-TreeModule=Directory
 X-KDE-KonqSidebarModule=konqsidebar_tree
 X-KDE-Weight=11
diff --git a/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.h b/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.h
--- a/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.h
+++ b/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 
 private slots:
     void slotSelectionChanged(const QItemSelection &selected, const QItemSelection &deselected);
+    void slotUpdateColWidth();
     void slotKDirExpand_setRootIndex();
     void slotKDirExpand_setSelection(const QModelIndex &index);
     void customEvent(QEvent *ev) override;
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@
     void setSelectionIndex(const QModelIndex &index);
     QUrl getUrlFromIndex(const QModelIndex &index);
     QModelIndex resolveIndex(const QModelIndex &index);
-    const QModelIndex getIndexFromUrl(const QUrl &url);
+    QModelIndex getIndexFromUrl(const QUrl &url) const;
     QUrl cleanupURL(const QUrl &url);
 
     QTreeView *treeView;
diff --git a/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.cpp b/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.cpp
--- a/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.cpp
+++ b/sidebar/tree_module/tree_module.cpp
@@ -21,8 +21,15 @@
 /*
 
 TODO:
+-sidepanel not triggering changes in session properly
+-"Configure sidebar" > "Add new" has no option to actually add anything there
+-create context menu option to "Show Hidden Folders"
 -places panel does not respond to view location changes 
 -detect icon size for places panel
+-doubleclick on image (to open kuickview) causes sidebar to deselect
+
+-"View mode" to "sidebar" causes crash and ruins session -- cannot undo
+
 
 BUGS:
 -(konq bug) sftp cannot save file being edited, because: "A file named sftp://hostname/path/to/file already exists."
@@ -53,14 +60,16 @@
     m_initURL = cleanupURL(QUrl(configGroup.readPathEntry("URL", QString()))); // because the .desktop file url might be "~"
     treeView = new QTreeView(parent);
     treeView->setHeaderHidden(true);
-    treeView->header()->setStretchLastSection(false);
-    treeView->header()->setSectionResizeMode(QHeaderView::ResizeToContents);
+    treeView->setHorizontalScrollBarPolicy(Qt::ScrollBarAsNeeded);
+    treeView->setTextElideMode(Qt::ElideMiddle);
 
     model = new KDirModel(this);
     sorted_model = new KDirSortFilterProxyModel(this);
     sorted_model->setSortFoldersFirst(true);
     sorted_model->setSourceModel(model); 
     model->dirLister()->setDirOnlyMode(true);
+    model->dirLister()->setShowingDotFiles(configGroup.readEntry("ShowHiddenFolders", false)); // optimally, this should be a button toggle or context menu selection
+
 
     model->openUrl(m_initURL, KDirModel::ShowRoot);
 
@@ -70,6 +79,11 @@
         treeView->setColumnHidden(i, true);
     }
 
+    connect(treeView, &QTreeView::expanded,
+            this, &KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotUpdateColWidth);
+    connect(treeView, &QTreeView::collapsed,
+            this, &KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotUpdateColWidth);
+
     model->expandToUrl(m_initURL); // KDirModel is async, we'll just have to wait for slotKDirCompleted()
     connect(model, &KDirModel::expand,
             this, &KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotKDirExpand_setRootIndex);
@@ -167,8 +181,14 @@
     if (index.isValid() && m_lastURL != urlFromIndex) {
         emit openUrlRequest(urlFromIndex);
     }
+    slotUpdateColWidth();
 }
 
+// needed because when there is only one column, QTreeView does not trigger resize
+void KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotUpdateColWidth()
+{
+    treeView->resizeColumnToContents(0);
+}
 
 // needed because KDirModel is async
 void KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotKDirExpand_setRootIndex()
@@ -190,6 +210,7 @@
             this, &KonqSideBarTreeModule::slotKDirExpand_setSelection);
         setSelection(m_lastURL, false);
     }
+    slotUpdateColWidth();
 }
 
 
@@ -217,7 +238,7 @@
     return resolvedUrl;
 }
 
-const QModelIndex KonqSideBarTreeModule::getIndexFromUrl(const QUrl &url)
+QModelIndex KonqSideBarTreeModule::getIndexFromUrl(const QUrl &url) const
 {
     return sorted_model->mapFromSource(model->indexForUrl(url));
 }