diff --git a/doc/terminator.1 b/doc/terminator.1
index 80767abe..8133a9ce 100644
--- a/doc/terminator.1
+++ b/doc/terminator.1
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ Place the Terminator window in its fullscreen state when it starts
 Instruct the window manager not to render borders/decoration on the 
 Terminator window (good with \-m)
 .TP 
+.B \-H, \-\-hidden
+Hide the Terminator window by default. Its visibility can be toggled
+with the \fBquake\fR keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-Shift-Alt-a by default)
+.TP
 .B \-\-no_gconf
 Ignore the gconf settings of gnome-terminal
 .TP 
diff --git a/doc/terminator_config.5 b/doc/terminator_config.5
index 5af70102..5c05efb8 100644
--- a/doc/terminator_config.5
+++ b/doc/terminator_config.5
@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@ Default value: \fBFalse\fR
 Controls whether the Terminator window will be started without window borders
 Default value: \fBFalse\fR
 .TP
+.B hidden \fR(boolean)
+Hides the Terminator window by default. Its visibility can be toggled with the \fBquake\fR keybinding (Ctrl-Shift-Alt-a by default)
+Default value: \fBFalse\fR
+.TP
 .B handle_size
 Controls the width of the separator between terminals. Anything outside the range 0-5 (inclusive) will be ignored and use your default theme value.
 Default value: \fB-1\fR
diff --git a/terminator b/terminator
index cb5eac3e..2e9d0254 100755
--- a/terminator
+++ b/terminator
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
       dest="fullscreen", help="Set the window into fullscreen mode")
   parser.add_option ("-b", "--borderless", action="store_true", 
       dest="borderless",       help="Turn off the window's borders")
+  parser.add_option("-H", "--hidden", action="store_true", dest="hidden", 
+      help="Open the %s window hidden"%APP_NAME.capitalize())
   parser.add_option ("-n", "--no-gconf", dest="no_gconf", action="store_true",
       help="ignore gnome-terminal gconf settings")
   parser.add_option ("-p", "--profile", dest="profile", action="callback",
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ See the following bug report for more details:
   dbg ('profile_cb: settled on profile: "%s"' % options.profile)
   term = Terminator (options.profile, command, options.fullscreen, 
                      options.maximise, options.borderless, options.no_gconf, 
-                     options.geometry)
+                     options.geometry, options.hidden)
 
   if options.debug > 1:
     import terminatorlib.debugserver as debugserver
diff --git a/terminatorlib/config.py b/terminatorlib/config.py
index ad8602ed..0b562ef4 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/config.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/config.py
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ Defaults = {
   'fullscreen'            : False,
   'borderless'            : False,
   'maximise'              : False,
+  'hidden'                : False,
   'handle_size'           : -1,
   'focus_on_close'        : 'auto',
   'f11_modifier'          : False,
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ Defaults = {
     'full_screen'      : 'F11',
     'reset'            : '<Ctrl><Shift>R',
     'reset_clear'      : '<Ctrl><Shift>G',
+    'quake'            : '<Ctrl><Shift><Alt>a',
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminator.py b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
index 3e6388c7..341891f8 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/terminator.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ from terminatorlib.keybindings import TerminatorKeybindings
 from terminatorlib.terminatorterm import TerminatorTerm
 from terminatorlib.prefs_profile import ProfileEditor
 
+# import keybinder for quake mode
+try:
+  import deskbar.core.keybinder as bindkey
+except:
+  print (_("Unable to find python bindings for deskbar, "\
+           "QUAKE mode is not available."))
+  pass
+
 class TerminatorNotebookTabLabel(gtk.HBox):
   _terminator = None
   _notebook = None
@@ -124,7 +132,7 @@ class Terminator:
 
   def __init__ (self, profile = None, command = None, fullscreen = False,
                 maximise = False, borderless = False, no_gconf = False,
-                geometry = None):
+                geometry = None, hidden = False):
     self.profile = profile
     self.command = command
 
@@ -134,6 +142,7 @@ class Terminator:
     self._geometry = geometry
     self.debugaddress = None
     self.start_cwd = os.getcwd()
+    self._hidden = False
     self.term_list = []
     self.gnome_client = None
     stores = []
@@ -200,7 +209,6 @@ class Terminator:
       import webbrowser
       self.url_show = webbrowser.open
 
-
     self.icon_theme = gtk.IconTheme ()
 
     self.keybindings = TerminatorKeybindings()
@@ -261,6 +269,14 @@ class Terminator:
     term.spawn_child ()
     self.save_yourself ()
 
+    if hidden or self.conf.hidden:
+      self.hide()
+
+    try:
+      bindkey.tomboy_keybinder_bind(self.conf.keybindings['quake'],self.cbkeyCloak,term)
+    except:
+      pass
+
   def set_handle_size (self, size):
     if size in xrange (0,6):
       gtk.rc_parse_string("""
@@ -339,6 +355,28 @@ class Terminator:
         c.set_clone_command(len(args), args)
       return True
 
+  def show(self):
+    """Show the terminator window"""
+    # restore window position
+    self.window.move(self.pos[0],self.pos[1])
+    #self.window.present()
+    self.window.show_now()
+    self._hidden = False   
+
+  def hide(self):
+    """Hide the terminator window"""
+    # save window position
+    self.pos = self.window.get_position()
+    self.window.hide()
+    self._hidden = True
+
+  def cbkeyCloak(self, data):
+    """Callback event for show/hide keypress"""
+    if self._hidden:
+      self.show()
+    else:
+      self.hide()
+
   def maximize (self):
     """ Maximize the Terminator window."""
     self.window.maximize ()
diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py b/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
index 81a4d46c..8a6c13f4 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminatorterm.py
@@ -730,6 +730,9 @@ text/plain
       dbg ('on_vte_key_press: Called on %s with no event' % term)
       return False
     mapping = self.terminator.keybindings.lookup(event)
+    
+    if mapping == "quake":
+      return False
 
     if mapping and mapping not in self.UnhandledKeybindings:
       dbg("on_vte_key_press: lookup found %r" % mapping)