diff --git a/lib/site_setting_extension.rb b/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
index ff994a483..c9efa2ca3 100644
--- a/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
+++ b/lib/site_setting_extension.rb
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
     @choices ||= {}
   end
 
+  def shadowed_settings
+    @shadowed_settings ||= []
+  end
+
   def hidden_settings
     @hidden_settings ||= []
   end
@@ -84,6 +88,15 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
         hidden_settings << name
       end
 
+      # You can "shadow" a site setting with a GlobalSetting. If the GlobalSetting
+      # exists it will be used instead of the setting and the setting will be hidden.
+      # Useful for things like API keys on multisite.
+      if opts[:shadowed_by_global] && GlobalSetting.respond_to?(name)
+        hidden_settings << name
+        shadowed_settings << name
+        current_value = GlobalSetting.send(name)
+      end
+
       if opts[:refresh]
         refresh_settings << name
       end
@@ -97,7 +110,7 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
       end
 
       current[name] = current_value
-      setup_methods(name, current_value)
+      setup_methods(name)
     end
   end
 
@@ -133,7 +146,7 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
   # Retrieve all settings
   def all_settings(include_hidden=false)
     @defaults
-      .reject{|s, _| hidden_settings.include?(s) || include_hidden}
+      .reject{|s, _| hidden_settings.include?(s) && !include_hidden}
       .map do |s, v|
         value = send(s)
         type = types[get_data_type(s, value)]
@@ -177,9 +190,11 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
 
       if deletions.length > 0 || changes.length > 0
         changes.each do |name, val|
+          next if shadowed_settings.include?(name)
           current[name] = val
         end
         deletions.each do |name,val|
+          next if shadowed_settings.include?(name)
           current[name] = defaults[name]
         end
       end
@@ -364,7 +379,7 @@ module SiteSettingExtension
   end
 
 
-  def setup_methods(name, current_value)
+  def setup_methods(name)
     clean_name = name.to_s.sub("?", "")
 
     eval "define_singleton_method :#{clean_name} do
diff --git a/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb b/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
index 1e0adca5a..b9c8cf253 100644
--- a/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/site_setting_extension_spec.rb
@@ -339,4 +339,71 @@ describe SiteSettingExtension do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "hidden" do
+    before do
+      settings.setting(:superman_identity, 'Clark Kent', hidden: true)
+      settings.refresh!
+    end
+
+    it "is in the `hidden_settings` collection" do
+      settings.hidden_settings.include?(:superman_identity).should == true
+    end
+
+    it "can be retrieved" do
+      settings.superman_identity.should == "Clark Kent"
+    end
+
+    it "is not present in all_settings by default" do
+      settings.all_settings.find {|s| s[:setting] == :superman_identity }.should be_blank
+    end
+
+    it "is present in all_settings when we ask for hidden" do
+      settings.all_settings(true).find {|s| s[:setting] == :superman_identity }.should be_present
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "shadowed_by_global" do
+    context "without global setting" do
+      before do
+        settings.setting(:trout_api_key, 'evil', shadowed_by_global: true)
+        settings.refresh!
+      end
+
+      it "should not add the key to the shadowed_settings collection" do
+        settings.shadowed_settings.include?(:trout_api_key).should == false
+      end
+
+      it "can return the default value" do
+        settings.trout_api_key.should == 'evil'
+      end
+
+      it "can overwrite the default" do
+        settings.trout_api_key = 'tophat'
+        settings.refresh!
+        settings.trout_api_key.should == 'tophat'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "with global setting" do
+      before do
+        GlobalSetting.stubs(:trout_api_key).returns('purringcat')
+        settings.setting(:trout_api_key, 'evil', shadowed_by_global: true)
+        settings.refresh!
+      end
+
+      it "should return the global setting instead of default" do
+        settings.trout_api_key.should == 'purringcat'
+      end
+
+      it "should return the global setting after a refresh" do
+        settings.refresh!
+        settings.trout_api_key.should == 'purringcat'
+      end
+
+      it "should add the key to the shadowed_settings collection" do
+        settings.shadowed_settings.include?(:trout_api_key).should == true
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
 end