diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
index af0df4af..435bfcc2 100644
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -1905,6 +1905,7 @@ def add_txt(ap):
     ap2.add_argument("--rw-edit", metavar="T,T", type=u, default="md", help="comma-sep. list of file-extensions to allow editing with permissions read+write; all others require read+write+delete (volflag=rw_edit)")
     ap2.add_argument("--md-no-br", action="store_true", help="markdown: disable newline-is-newline; will only render a newline into the html given two trailing spaces or a double-newline (volflag=md_no_br)")
     ap2.add_argument("--md-hist", metavar="TXT", type=u, default="s", help="where to store old version of markdown files; [\033[32ms\033[0m]=subfolder, [\033[32mv\033[0m]=volume-histpath, [\033[32mn\033[0m]=nope/disabled (volflag=md_hist)")
+    ap2.add_argument("--show-hist", action="store_true", help="allow browsing the .hist folder; enable to view old markdown files (volflag=show_hist)")
     ap2.add_argument("--txt-eol", metavar="TYPE", type=u, default="", help="enable EOL conversion when writing documents; supported: CRLF, LF (volflag=txt_eol)")
     ap2.add_argument("-mcr", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=60, help="the textfile editor will check for serverside changes every \033[33mSEC\033[0m seconds")
     ap2.add_argument("-emp", action="store_true", help="enable markdown plugins -- neat but dangerous, big XSS risk")
diff --git a/copyparty/authsrv.py b/copyparty/authsrv.py
index 08c39335..92132578 100644
--- a/copyparty/authsrv.py
+++ b/copyparty/authsrv.py
@@ -2802,6 +2802,13 @@ class AuthSrv(object):
             zs = "select %s from up where rd=? and fn=?" % (", ".join(up_q),)
             vol.flags["ls_q_m"] = (zs if up_m else "", up_m)
 
+        for tab in (rhisttab, rdbpaths):
+            for ap, vn in tab.items():
+                if "show_hist" not in vn.flags and (
+                    ap == os.path.join(vn.realpath, ".hist")
+                ):
+                    vn.add("", ".hist", ".hist")
+
         vfs.all_fvols = {
             zs: vol for zs, vol in vfs.all_vols.items() if "is_file" in vol.flags
         }
diff --git a/copyparty/cfg.py b/copyparty/cfg.py
index b519f645..c4cb5f0b 100644
--- a/copyparty/cfg.py
+++ b/copyparty/cfg.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def vf_bmap() -> dict[str, str]:
         "rm_partial",
         "rmagic",
         "rss",
+        "show_hist",
         "ui_noacci",
         "ui_nocpla",
         "ui_nolbar",
@@ -407,6 +408,7 @@ flagcats = {
         "rw_edit=md,txt": "only require read+write to edit .md and .txt",
         "md_no_br": "newline only on double-newline or two tailing spaces",
         "md_hist": "where to put markdown backups; s=subfolder, v=volHist, n=nope",
+        "show_hist": "allow browsing the .hist folder (old textfiles)",
         "exp": "enable textfile expansion; see --help-exp",
         "exp_md": "placeholders to expand in markdown files; see --help",
         "exp_lg": "placeholders to expand in prologue/epilogue; see --help",
diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index 9e50fd97..711cf8dc 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -7162,7 +7162,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
         # [num-backups, most-recent, hist-path]
         hist: dict[str, tuple[int, float, str]] = {}
         try:
-            if vf["md_hist"] != "s":
+            if "show_hist" not in vf or vf["md_hist"] != "s":
                 raise Exception()
             histdir = os.path.join(fsroot, ".hist")
             ptn = RE_MDV
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index f9955f24..d50ab383 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Cfg(Namespace):
     def __init__(self, a=None, v=None, c=None, **ka0):
         ka = {}
 
-        ex = "allow_flac allow_wav chpw cookie_lax daw dav_auth dav_mac dav_rt dlni dothidden e2d e2ds e2dsa e2t e2ts e2tsr e2v e2vu e2vp early_ban ed emp exp force_js getmod grid gsel hardlink hardlink_only http_no_tcp ih ihead localtime log_badxml magic md_no_br nid nih no_acode no_athumb no_bauth no_clone no_cp no_dav no_db_ip no_del no_dirsz no_dupe no_dupe_m no_fnugg no_html no_lifetime no_logues no_mv no_pipe no_poll no_readme no_robots no_sb_md no_sb_lg no_scandir no_script no_tail no_tarcmp no_thumb no_vthumb no_u2abrt no_zip no_zls nrand nsort nw og og_no_head og_s_title ohead opds q rand re_dirsz reflink rm_partial rmagic rss smb srch_dbg srch_excl srch_icase stats ui_noacci ui_nocpla ui_noctxb ui_nolbar ui_nombar ui_nonav ui_notree ui_norepl ui_nosrvi uqe usernames vague_403 vc ver vol_nospawn vol_or_crash wo_up_readme write_uplog xdev xlink xvol zipmaxu zs"
+        ex = "allow_flac allow_wav chpw cookie_lax daw dav_auth dav_mac dav_rt dlni dothidden e2d e2ds e2dsa e2t e2ts e2tsr e2v e2vu e2vp early_ban ed emp exp force_js getmod grid gsel hardlink hardlink_only http_no_tcp ih ihead localtime log_badxml magic md_no_br nid nih no_acode no_athumb no_bauth no_clone no_cp no_dav no_db_ip no_del no_dirsz no_dupe no_dupe_m no_fnugg no_html no_lifetime no_logues no_mv no_pipe no_poll no_readme no_robots no_sb_md no_sb_lg no_scandir no_script no_tail no_tarcmp no_thumb no_vthumb no_u2abrt no_zip no_zls nrand nsort nw og og_no_head og_s_title ohead opds q rand re_dirsz reflink rm_partial rmagic rss show_hist smb srch_dbg srch_excl srch_icase stats ui_noacci ui_nocpla ui_noctxb ui_nolbar ui_nombar ui_nonav ui_notree ui_norepl ui_nosrvi uqe usernames vague_403 vc ver vol_nospawn vol_or_crash wo_up_readme write_uplog xdev xlink xvol zipmaxu zs"
         ka.update(**{k: False for k in ex.split()})
 
         ex = "dav_inf dedup dotpart dotsrch hook_v no_dhash no_fastboot no_fpool no_htp no_rescan no_sendfile no_ses no_snap no_up_list no_voldump wram re_dhash see_dots plain_ip"