diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs
index fbf7b7dd16..5ea92f7cb2 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const GLOB_PARAMS: nu_glob::MatchOptions = nu_glob::MatchOptions {
     case_sensitive: true,
     require_literal_separator: false,
     require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+    recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
index 0210cb691a..a20d50ba1b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::DirInfo;
 use chrono::{DateTime, Local, LocalResult, TimeZone, Utc};
 use nu_engine::env::current_dir;
 use nu_engine::CallExt;
+use nu_glob::MatchOptions;
 use nu_path::expand_to_real_path;
 use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
 use nu_protocol::engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack};
@@ -128,7 +129,15 @@ impl Command for Ls {
             item: path.display().to_string(),
             span: p_tag,
         };
-        let (prefix, paths) = nu_engine::glob_from(&glob_path, &cwd, call_span)?;
+
+        let glob_options = if all {
+            None
+        } else {
+            let mut glob_options = MatchOptions::new();
+            glob_options.recursive_match_hidden_dir = false;
+            Some(glob_options)
+        };
+        let (prefix, paths) = nu_engine::glob_from(&glob_path, &cwd, call_span, glob_options)?;
 
         let mut paths_peek = paths.peekable();
         if paths_peek.peek().is_none() {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mv.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mv.rs
index 3672a71c78..1ddd3dc828 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mv.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mv.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const GLOB_PARAMS: nu_glob::MatchOptions = nu_glob::MatchOptions {
     case_sensitive: true,
     require_literal_separator: false,
     require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+    recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/rm.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/rm.rs
index 4a46046bb5..d7dc6db84d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/rm.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/rm.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const GLOB_PARAMS: nu_glob::MatchOptions = nu_glob::MatchOptions {
     case_sensitive: true,
     require_literal_separator: false,
     require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+    recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/platform/du.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/platform/du.rs
index 926b3151a5..a5a1640d39 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/platform/du.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/platform/du.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const GLOB_PARAMS: MatchOptions = MatchOptions {
     case_sensitive: true,
     require_literal_separator: true,
     require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+    recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
index 1decd69243..14c02806a3 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
@@ -417,7 +417,9 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
             let cwd = PathBuf::from(cwd);
 
             if arg.item.contains('*') {
-                if let Ok((prefix, matches)) = nu_engine::glob_from(&arg, &cwd, self.name.span) {
+                if let Ok((prefix, matches)) =
+                    nu_engine::glob_from(&arg, &cwd, self.name.span, None)
+                {
                     let matches: Vec<_> = matches.collect();
 
                     // FIXME: do we want to special-case this further? We might accidentally expand when they don't
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/ls.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/ls.rs
index e9f13cccb7..97c1d183eb 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/ls.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/ls.rs
@@ -244,6 +244,42 @@ fn lists_all_hidden_files_when_glob_does_not_contain_dot() {
     })
 }
 
+#[test]
+// TODO Remove this cfg value when we have an OS-agnostic way
+// of creating hidden files using the playground.
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn glob_with_hidden_directory() {
+    Playground::setup("ls_test_8", |dirs, sandbox| {
+        sandbox.within(".dir_b").with_files(vec![
+            EmptyFile("andres.10.txt"),
+            EmptyFile("chicken_not_to_be_picked_up.100.txt"),
+            EmptyFile(".dotfile3"),
+        ]);
+
+        let actual = nu!(
+            cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline(
+            r#"
+                ls **/*
+                | length
+            "#
+        ));
+
+        assert_eq!(actual.out, "");
+        assert!(actual.err.contains("No matches found"));
+
+        // will list files if provide `-a` flag.
+        let actual = nu!(
+            cwd: dirs.test(), pipeline(
+            r#"
+                ls -a **/*
+                | length
+            "#
+        ));
+
+        assert_eq!(actual.out, "4");
+    })
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(unix)]
 fn fails_with_ls_to_dir_without_permission() {
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/glob_from.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/glob_from.rs
index cce050a49a..2025c1d8ae 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/glob_from.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/glob_from.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
 use std::path::{Component, Path, PathBuf};
 
+use nu_glob::MatchOptions;
 use nu_path::{canonicalize_with, expand_path_with};
 use nu_protocol::{ShellError, Span, Spanned};
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ pub fn glob_from(
     pattern: &Spanned<String>,
     cwd: &Path,
     span: Span,
+    options: Option<MatchOptions>,
 ) -> Result<
     (
         Option<PathBuf>,
@@ -82,8 +84,9 @@ pub fn glob_from(
     };
 
     let pattern = pattern.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    let glob_options = options.unwrap_or_else(MatchOptions::new);
 
-    let glob = nu_glob::glob(&pattern).map_err(|err| {
+    let glob = nu_glob::glob_with(&pattern, glob_options).map_err(|err| {
         nu_protocol::ShellError::GenericError(
             "Error extracting glob pattern".into(),
             err.to_string(),
diff --git a/crates/nu-glob/src/lib.rs b/crates/nu-glob/src/lib.rs
index aa9cf351a7..5069cd4b77 100644
--- a/crates/nu-glob/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-glob/src/lib.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 //!     case_sensitive: false,
 //!     require_literal_separator: false,
 //!     require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+//!     recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
 //! };
 //! for entry in glob_with("local/*a*", options).unwrap() {
 //!     if let Ok(path) = entry {
@@ -376,7 +377,16 @@ impl Iterator for Paths {
                 }
 
                 if is_dir(&path) {
-                    // the path is a directory, so it's a match
+                    // the path is a directory, check if matched according
+                    // to `hidden_dir_recursive` option.
+                    if !self.options.recursive_match_hidden_dir
+                        && path
+                            .file_name()
+                            .map(|name| name.to_string_lossy().starts_with('.'))
+                            .unwrap_or(false)
+                    {
+                        continue;
+                    }
 
                     // push this directory's contents
                     fill_todo(
@@ -872,6 +882,10 @@ pub struct MatchOptions {
     /// conventionally considered hidden on Unix systems and it might be
     /// desirable to skip them when listing files.
     pub require_literal_leading_dot: bool,
+
+    /// if given pattern contains `**`, this flag check if `**` matches hidden directory.
+    /// For example: if true, `**` will match `.abcdef/ghi`.
+    pub recursive_match_hidden_dir: bool,
 }
 
 impl MatchOptions {
@@ -886,6 +900,7 @@ impl MatchOptions {
     ///     case_sensitive: true,
     ///     require_literal_separator: false,
     ///     require_literal_leading_dot: false
+    ///     recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
     /// }
     /// ```
     pub fn new() -> Self {
@@ -893,6 +908,7 @@ impl MatchOptions {
             case_sensitive: true,
             require_literal_separator: false,
             require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1084,6 +1100,7 @@ mod test {
             case_sensitive: false,
             require_literal_separator: false,
             require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         };
 
         assert!(pat.matches_with("aBcDeFg", options));
@@ -1098,11 +1115,13 @@ mod test {
             case_sensitive: true,
             require_literal_separator: true,
             require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         };
         let options_not_require_literal = MatchOptions {
             case_sensitive: true,
             require_literal_separator: false,
             require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         };
 
         assert!(Pattern::new("abc/def")
@@ -1132,11 +1151,13 @@ mod test {
             case_sensitive: true,
             require_literal_separator: false,
             require_literal_leading_dot: true,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         };
         let options_not_require_literal_leading_dot = MatchOptions {
             case_sensitive: true,
             require_literal_separator: false,
             require_literal_leading_dot: false,
+            recursive_match_hidden_dir: true,
         };
 
         let f = |options| {