diff --git a/lib/capybara.rb b/lib/capybara.rb
index 785e2401..91c7b396 100644
--- a/lib/capybara.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module Capybara
 
   class << self
     attr_accessor :asset_root, :app_host, :run_server, :default_host, :always_include_port
-    attr_accessor :server_host, :server_port, :exact, :match, :exact_options
+    attr_accessor :server_host, :server_port, :exact, :match, :exact_options, :visible_text_only
     attr_accessor :default_selector, :default_wait_time, :ignore_hidden_elements
     attr_accessor :save_and_open_page_path, :automatic_reload, :raise_server_errors
     attr_writer :default_driver, :current_driver, :javascript_driver, :session_name
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ Capybara.configure do |config|
   config.match = :smart
   config.exact = false
   config.raise_server_errors = true
+  config.visible_text_only = false
 end
 
 Capybara.register_driver :rack_test do |app|
diff --git a/lib/capybara/driver/node.rb b/lib/capybara/driver/node.rb
index fb89930a..88ae641d 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/driver/node.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/driver/node.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ module Capybara
         @native = native
       end
 
-      def text
+      def all_text
+        raise NotImplementedError
+      end
+
+      def visible_text
         raise NotImplementedError
       end
 
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@ module Capybara
       def path
         raise NotSupportedByDriverError
       end
-      
+
       def trigger(event)
         raise NotSupportedByDriverError
       end
diff --git a/lib/capybara/node/element.rb b/lib/capybara/node/element.rb
index c63ab366..34ec0a0d 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/node/element.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/node/element.rb
@@ -42,10 +42,26 @@ module Capybara
 
       ##
       #
-      # @return [String]    The text of the element
+      # Retrieve the text of the element. If `Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements`
+      # is `true`, which it is by default, then this will return only text
+      # which is visible. The exact semantics of this may differ between
+      # drivers, but generally any text within elements with `display:none` is
+      # ignored. This behaviour can be overridden by passing `:all` to this
+      # method.
       #
-      def text
-        synchronize { base.text }
+      # @param [:all, :visible]    Whether to return only visible or all text
+      #
+      # @return [String]           The text of the element
+      #
+      def text(type=nil)
+        type ||= :all unless Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements or Capybara.visible_text_only
+        synchronize do
+          if type == :all
+            base.all_text
+          else
+            base.visible_text
+          end
+        end
       end
 
       ##
diff --git a/lib/capybara/rack_test/node.rb b/lib/capybara/rack_test/node.rb
index cc7f7888..a91deec4 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/rack_test/node.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/rack_test/node.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 class Capybara::RackTest::Node < Capybara::Driver::Node
-  def text
+  def all_text
+    Capybara::Helpers.normalize_whitespace(native.text)
+  end
+
+  def visible_text
     Capybara::Helpers.normalize_whitespace(unnormalized_text)
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/capybara/spec/session/text_spec.rb b/lib/capybara/spec/session/text_spec.rb
index f8d6e0e4..3342d64a 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/spec/session/text_spec.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/spec/session/text_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,37 @@ Capybara::SpecHelper.spec '#text' do
     @session.text.should == 'Bar'
   end
 
+  it "ignores invisible text by default" do
+    @session.visit('/with_html')
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text.should == 'Some of this text is'
+  end
+
+  it "shows invisible text if `:all` given" do
+    @session.visit('/with_html')
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text(:all).should == 'Some of this text is hidden!'
+  end
+
+  it "ignores invisible text if `:visible` given" do
+    Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+    @session.visit('/with_html')
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text(:visible).should == 'Some of this text is'
+  end
+
+  it "ignores invisible text if `Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true`" do
+    @session.visit('/with_html')
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text.should == 'Some of this text is'
+    Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text.should == 'Some of this text is hidden!'
+  end
+
+  it "ignores invisible text if `Capybara.visible_text_only = true`" do
+    @session.visit('/with_html')
+    Capybara.visible_text_only = true
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text.should == 'Some of this text is'
+    Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+    @session.find(:id, "hidden-text").text.should == 'Some of this text is'
+  end
+
   context "with css as default selector" do
     before { Capybara.default_selector = :css }
     it "should print the text of the page" do
diff --git a/lib/capybara/spec/spec_helper.rb b/lib/capybara/spec/spec_helper.rb
index dd47b54f..3621435c 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module Capybara
         Capybara.exact = false
         Capybara.exact_options = false
         Capybara.raise_server_errors = true
+        Capybara.visible_text_only = false
         Capybara.match = :smart
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/capybara/spec/views/with_html.erb b/lib/capybara/spec/views/with_html.erb
index babb19a9..c63229e0 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/spec/views/with_html.erb
+++ b/lib/capybara/spec/views/with_html.erb
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ banana</textarea>
   <a href="/with_simple_html" title="hidden link" class="simple">hidden link</a>
 </div>
 
+<div id="hidden-text">
+  Some of this text is <em style="display:none">hidden!</em>
+</div>
+
 <div style="display: none;">
   <a id="first_invisble" class="hidden">first hidden link</a>
 </div>