diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/mapogcsos.c mapserver-5.6.3/mapogcsos.c
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/mapogcsos.c	2009-10-20 15:38:46.000000000 +0200
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/mapogcsos.c	2010-04-30 15:02:22.828247103 +0200
@@ -1379,7 +1379,7 @@
          {
              lp = (GET_LAYER(map, i));
 
-             if (lp->status == MS_DELETE)
+             if (lp->status == MS_DELETE || msIsLayerHidden(lp) == MS_TRUE)
                 continue;
 
              value = msOWSLookupMetadata(&(lp->metadata), "S", "offering_id");
diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/mapserver.h mapserver-5.6.3/mapserver.h
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/mapserver.h	2010-03-22 19:50:43.000000000 +0100
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/mapserver.h	2010-04-30 15:02:22.832247199 +0200
@@ -2206,6 +2206,8 @@
 
 MS_DLL_EXPORT int msCheckParentPointer(void* p, char* objname);
 
+MS_DLL_EXPORT int msIsLayerHidden( layerObj *lp );
+
 MS_DLL_EXPORT int *msAllocateValidClassGroups(layerObj *lp, int *nclasses);
 /* ==================================================================== */
 /*      End of prototypes for functions in maputil.c                    */
diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/maputil.c mapserver-5.6.3/maputil.c
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/maputil.c	2009-10-16 20:17:05.000000000 +0200
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/maputil.c	2010-04-30 15:02:22.832247199 +0200
@@ -1965,3 +1965,18 @@
 #endif
 
 }
+
+/*
+ Ticket #1952, #2582, #337: check if layer is marked as hidden
+*/
+int msIsLayerHidden( layerObj *lp ) {
+    const char *value;
+    int bIsLayerHidden = MS_FALSE; /* Layer is enable by default */
+    
+    if( (value = msOWSLookupMetadata(&(lp->metadata), "MO", "hidden_layer")) ) {
+        if( strcasecmp("true", value) == 0 )
+            bIsLayerHidden = MS_TRUE;
+    }
+    
+    return( bIsLayerHidden );
+}
diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwcs.c mapserver-5.6.3/mapwcs.c
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwcs.c	2009-10-19 16:55:32.000000000 +0200
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/mapwcs.c	2010-04-30 15:02:22.832247199 +0200
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@
   coverageMetadataObj cm;
   int status;
 
-  if((layer->status == MS_DELETE) || !msWCSIsLayerSupported(layer)) return MS_SUCCESS; /* not an error, this layer cannot be served via WCS */
+  if((layer->status == MS_DELETE) || msIsLayerHidden(layer) == MS_TRUE || !msWCSIsLayerSupported(layer)) return MS_SUCCESS; /* not an error, this layer cannot be served via WCS */
 
   status = msWCSGetCoverageMetadata(layer, &cm);
   if(status != MS_SUCCESS) return MS_FAILURE;
diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwfs.c mapserver-5.6.3/mapwfs.c
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwfs.c	2010-02-23 20:30:57.000000000 +0100
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/mapwfs.c	2010-04-30 15:02:22.832247199 +0200
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@
       layerObj *lp;
       lp = GET_LAYER(map, i);
 
-      if (lp->status == MS_DELETE)
+      if (lp->status == MS_DELETE || msIsLayerHidden(lp) == MS_TRUE)
          continue;
 
       /* List only vector layers in which DUMP=TRUE */
diff -urNad mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwms.c mapserver-5.6.3/mapwms.c
--- mapserver-5.6.3~/mapwms.c	2010-02-22 01:20:06.000000000 +0100
+++ mapserver-5.6.3/mapwms.c	2010-04-30 15:02:22.836247296 +0200
@@ -1890,7 +1890,10 @@
    if (numNestedGroups[index] <= level) /* no more subgroups */
    {
       /* we are at the deepest level of the group branchings, so add layer now. */
-      msDumpLayer(map, GET_LAYER(map, index), nVersion, script_url_encoded, "");
+      /* if it is not marked as hidden */
+      if (!msIsLayerHidden( GET_LAYER(map, index) ))
+          msDumpLayer(map, GET_LAYER(map, index), nVersion, script_url_encoded, "");
+
       pabLayerProcessed[index] = 1; /* done */
    }
    else /* not yet there, we have to deal with this group and possible subgroups and layers. */
@@ -2419,6 +2422,9 @@
          layerObj *lp;
          lp = (GET_LAYER(map, i));
 
+         if (msIsLayerHidden(lp) == MS_TRUE)
+             pabLayerProcessed[i] = 1; /* Hide layer from capabilities */  
+
          if (pabLayerProcessed[i] || (lp->status == MS_DELETE))
              continue;  /* Layer has already been handled */
 
@@ -2463,7 +2469,9 @@
                      GET_LAYER(map, j)->group &&
                      strcmp(lp->group, GET_LAYER(map, j)->group) == 0 )
                  {
-                     msDumpLayer(map, (GET_LAYER(map, j)), nVersion, script_url_encoded, "  ");
+                     if (!msIsLayerHidden( GET_LAYER(map, j) )) /* Don't dump hidden layers */
+                         msDumpLayer(map, (GET_LAYER(map, j)), nVersion, script_url_encoded, "  ");
+
                      pabLayerProcessed[j] = 1;
                  }
              }