diff --git a/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinition.java b/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinition.java
index 6386fd28..31f0ce09 100644
--- a/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinition.java
+++ b/plugin-api/src/main/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinition.java
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ private String getKey() {
   private final String category;
   private final List<ConfigScope> configScopes;
   private final boolean global;
+  private final boolean hidden;
   private final boolean multiValues;
   private final String deprecatedKey;
   private final List<PropertyFieldDefinition> fields;
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ private PropertyDefinition(Builder builder) {
     this.category = builder.category;
     this.subCategory = builder.subCategory;
     this.global = builder.global;
+    this.hidden = builder.hidden;
     this.type = builder.type;
     this.options = builder.options;
     this.multiValues = builder.multiValues;
@@ -190,9 +192,19 @@ static PropertyDefinition create(Property annotation) {
       configScopes.add(ConfigScope.MODULE);
     }
     if (annotation.global()) {
-      builder.onConfigScopes(configScopes);
+      if (!configScopes.isEmpty()) {
+        // visible and settable at instance and scope level
+        builder.onConfigScopes(configScopes);
+      }
+      // else default state, visible and settable at instance level only
     } else {
-      builder.onlyOnConfigScopes(configScopes);
+      if (!configScopes.isEmpty()) {
+        // visible and settable at scope only
+        builder.onlyOnConfigScopes(configScopes);
+      } else {
+        // legacy pattern for not visible but settable at instance level only
+        builder.hidden();
+      }
     }
     return builder.build();
   }
@@ -344,6 +356,14 @@ public boolean global() {
     return global;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Hidden properties are not discoverable, and typically don't appear in the UI.
+   * They can only be configured via the API.
+   */
+  public boolean hidden() {
+    return hidden;
+  }
+
   public boolean multiValues() {
     return multiValues;
   }
@@ -667,11 +687,7 @@ public PropertyDefinition build() {
       checkArgument(!isEmpty(key), "Key must be set");
       fixType(key, type);
       checkArgument(onConfigScopes.isEmpty() || onlyOnConfigScopes.isEmpty(), "Cannot use both forQualifiers and onlyForQualifiers");
-      checkArgument(!hidden || (onConfigScopes.isEmpty() && onlyOnConfigScopes.isEmpty()), "Cannot be hidden and defining qualifiers on which to display");
       checkArgument(!JSON.equals(type) || !multiValues, "Multivalues are not allowed to be defined for JSON-type property.");
-      if (hidden) {
-        global = false;
-      }
       if (!fields.isEmpty()) {
         type = PROPERTY_SET;
       }
diff --git a/plugin-api/src/test/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinitionTest.java b/plugin-api/src/test/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinitionTest.java
index 13393115..8af84d63 100644
--- a/plugin-api/src/test/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinitionTest.java
+++ b/plugin-api/src/test/java/org/sonar/api/config/PropertyDefinitionTest.java
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ public void should_create_from_annotation() {
     assertThat(def.configScopes()).containsOnly(ConfigScope.PROJECT, ConfigScope.MODULE);
     assertThat(def.multiValues()).isTrue();
     assertThat(def.fields()).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isFalse();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void should_translate_legacy_global_false_idiom_to_hidden() {
+    Properties props = AnnotationUtils.getAnnotation(LegacyHiddenIdiom.class, Properties.class);
+    Property prop = props.value()[0];
+
+    PropertyDefinition def = PropertyDefinition.create(prop);
+
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.global()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.configScopes()).isEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -108,7 +121,34 @@ public void should_create_hidden_property() {
     assertThat(def.key()).isEqualTo("hello");
     assertThat(def.qualifiers()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(def.configScopes()).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(def.global()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isTrue();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void should_create_hidden_property_with_on_config_scopes() {
+    PropertyDefinition def = PropertyDefinition.builder("hello")
+      .name("Hello")
+      .hidden()
+      .onConfigScopes(ConfigScope.PROJECT)
+      .build();
+
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.global()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.configScopes()).containsExactly(ConfigScope.PROJECT);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void should_create_hidden_property_with_only_on_config_scopes() {
+    PropertyDefinition def = PropertyDefinition.builder("hello")
+      .name("Hello")
+      .hidden()
+      .onlyOnConfigScopes(ConfigScope.PROJECT)
+      .build();
+
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isTrue();
     assertThat(def.global()).isFalse();
+    assertThat(def.configScopes()).containsExactly(ConfigScope.PROJECT);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -125,6 +165,7 @@ public void should_create_property_with_default_values() {
     assertThat(def.description()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(def.type()).isEqualTo(PropertyType.STRING);
     assertThat(def.global()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isFalse();
     assertThat(def.qualifiers()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(def.configScopes()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(def.multiValues()).isFalse();
@@ -150,6 +191,7 @@ public void should_create_from_annotation_default_values() {
     assertThat(def.configScopes()).isEmpty();
     assertThat(def.multiValues()).isFalse();
     assertThat(def.fields()).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(def.hidden()).isFalse();
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -320,22 +362,6 @@ public void should_not_create_json_multivalue() {
       .hasMessage("Multivalues are not allowed to be defined for JSON-type property.");
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void should_not_authorize_defining_on_qualifiers_and_hidden() {
-    Builder builder = PropertyDefinition.builder("foo").name("foo").onQualifiers(org.sonar.api.resources.Qualifiers.PROJECT).hidden();
-    assertThatThrownBy(builder::build)
-      .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
-      .hasMessage("Cannot be hidden and defining qualifiers on which to display");
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void should_not_authorize_defining_ony_on_qualifiers_and_hidden() {
-    Builder builder = PropertyDefinition.builder("foo").name("foo").onlyOnQualifiers(org.sonar.api.resources.Qualifiers.PROJECT).hidden();
-    assertThatThrownBy(builder::build)
-      .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
-      .hasMessage("Cannot be hidden and defining qualifiers on which to display");
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void should_not_authorize_defining_on_qualifiers_and_only_on_qualifiers() {
     Builder builder = PropertyDefinition.builder("foo").name("foo").onQualifiers(org.sonar.api.resources.Qualifiers.MODULE)
@@ -470,4 +496,8 @@ static class WithPropertySet {
   static class DefaultValues {
   }
 
+  @Properties(@Property(key = "hello", name = "Hello", global = false))
+  static class LegacyHiddenIdiom {
+  }
+
 }