diff --git a/packages/collection-model/lib/model.js b/packages/collection-model/lib/model.js
index bb3bc56ed49..c1e76e6b83c 100644
--- a/packages/collection-model/lib/model.js
+++ b/packages/collection-model/lib/model.js
@@ -417,18 +417,13 @@ const CollectionCollection = AmpersandCollection.extend(
         }
       );
 
+      const showHiddenNamespaces = instanceModel.shouldShowHiddenNamespaces();
+
       this.set(
         collections
-          .filter((coll) => {
-            // TODO: This is not the best place to do this kind of
-            // filtering, but for now this preserves the current behavior
-            // and changing it right away will expand the scope of the
-            // refactor significantly. We can address this in COMPASS-5211
-            return (
-              getNamespaceInfo(coll._id).system === false ||
-              getNamespaceInfo(coll._id).collection === 'system.profile'
-            );
-          })
+          .filter(
+            (coll) => showHiddenNamespaces || !getNamespaceInfo(coll._id).system
+          )
           .map(({ _id, ...rest }) => {
             return {
               _id,
diff --git a/packages/collection-model/test/index.test.js b/packages/collection-model/test/index.test.js
index 240e66b53aa..f75e76c5042 100644
--- a/packages/collection-model/test/index.test.js
+++ b/packages/collection-model/test/index.test.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe('mongodb-collection-model', function () {
   });
 
   describe('CollectionCollection#fetch', function () {
-    function createFakeDatabase() {
+    function createFakeDatabase({ showHiddenNamespaces }) {
       var instance = {
         modelType: 'Instance',
         shouldFetchNamespacesFromPrivileges() {
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ describe('mongodb-collection-model', function () {
         shouldFetchDbAndCollStats() {
           return false;
         },
+        shouldShowHiddenNamespaces() {
+          return showHiddenNamespaces;
+        },
         auth: { privileges: null, roles: null },
         emit: function () {},
       };
@@ -34,12 +37,8 @@ describe('mongodb-collection-model', function () {
       };
     }
 
-    it('hides system collections but keeps system.profile', async function () {
-      var collections = new CollectionCollection([], {
-        parent: createFakeDatabase(),
-      });
-
-      var dataService = {
+    function createDataService() {
+      return {
         listCollections: async function () {
           return [
             { _id: 'test.foo' },
@@ -49,8 +48,14 @@ describe('mongodb-collection-model', function () {
           ];
         },
       };
+    }
 
-      await collections.fetch({ dataService: dataService });
+    it('hides system collections by default, but keeps system.profile', async function () {
+      var collections = new CollectionCollection([], {
+        parent: createFakeDatabase({ showHiddenNamespaces: false }),
+      });
+
+      await collections.fetch({ dataService: createDataService() });
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
         collections.map(function (coll) {
@@ -59,5 +64,20 @@ describe('mongodb-collection-model', function () {
         ['test.bar', 'test.foo', 'test.system.profile']
       );
     });
+
+    it('keeps system collections when showHiddenNamespaces is enabled', async function () {
+      var collections = new CollectionCollection([], {
+        parent: createFakeDatabase({ showHiddenNamespaces: true }),
+      });
+
+      await collections.fetch({ dataService: createDataService() });
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        collections.map(function (coll) {
+          return coll._id;
+        }),
+        ['test.bar', 'test.foo', 'test.system.profile', 'test.system.views']
+      );
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/compass-app-stores/src/stores/instance-store.ts b/packages/compass-app-stores/src/stores/instance-store.ts
index 7cc6913fd6a..be8b9e66922 100644
--- a/packages/compass-app-stores/src/stores/instance-store.ts
+++ b/packages/compass-app-stores/src/stores/instance-store.ts
@@ -286,14 +286,13 @@ export function createInstancesStore(
     }
   );
 
-  preferences.onPreferenceValueChanged('inferNamespacesFromPrivileges', () => {
-    const connectedConnectionIds = Array.from(
-      instancesManager.listMongoDBInstances().keys()
-    );
-    for (const connectionId of connectedConnectionIds) {
+  function reload() {
+    for (const [connectionId] of instancesManager.listMongoDBInstances())
       void refreshDatabases({ connectionId });
-    }
-  });
+  }
+
+  preferences.onPreferenceValueChanged('inferNamespacesFromPrivileges', reload);
+  preferences.onPreferenceValueChanged('showHiddenNamespaces', reload);
 
   on(connections, 'disconnected', function (connectionInfoId: string) {
     try {
diff --git a/packages/compass-preferences-model/src/preferences-schema.tsx b/packages/compass-preferences-model/src/preferences-schema.tsx
index 7cb04084746..6ed85b8886c 100644
--- a/packages/compass-preferences-model/src/preferences-schema.tsx
+++ b/packages/compass-preferences-model/src/preferences-schema.tsx
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ export type UserConfigurablePreferences = PermanentFeatureFlags &
     enableCreatingNewConnections: boolean;
     proxy: string;
     inferNamespacesFromPrivileges?: boolean;
+    showHiddenNamespaces: boolean;
     // Features that are enabled by default in Date Explorer, but are disabled in Compass
     maxTimeMSEnvLimit?: number;
   };
@@ -1130,6 +1131,17 @@ export const storedUserPreferencesProps: Required<{
     validator: z.boolean().default(true),
     type: 'boolean',
   },
+  showHiddenNamespaces: {
+    ui: true,
+    cli: true,
+    global: true,
+    description: {
+      short: 'Show Hidden Namespaces',
+      long: 'Show internal (__mdb_internal_) databases and system collections in the sidebar.',
+    },
+    validator: z.boolean().default(false),
+    type: 'boolean',
+  },
   maxTimeMSEnvLimit: {
     ui: true,
     cli: true,
diff --git a/packages/compass-settings/src/components/settings/general.tsx b/packages/compass-settings/src/components/settings/general.tsx
index c09595e308a..58f18a3c041 100644
--- a/packages/compass-settings/src/components/settings/general.tsx
+++ b/packages/compass-settings/src/components/settings/general.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const generalFields = [
   'enableShowDialogOnQuit',
   'enableDbAndCollStats',
   'inferNamespacesFromPrivileges',
+  'showHiddenNamespaces',
   'legacyUUIDDisplayEncoding',
 ] as const;
 
diff --git a/packages/database-model/lib/model.js b/packages/database-model/lib/model.js
index e44f8a4963a..7deea757d9f 100644
--- a/packages/database-model/lib/model.js
+++ b/packages/database-model/lib/model.js
@@ -262,15 +262,11 @@ const DatabaseCollection = AmpersandCollection.extend(
         roles: instanceModel.auth.roles,
       });
 
+      const showHiddenNamespaces = instanceModel.shouldShowHiddenNamespaces();
+
       this.set(
         dbs
-          .filter((db) => {
-            const ns = toNS(db._id);
-            // TODO(COMPASS-10954): This is indisputably the wrong way and place to handle namespace filtering.
-            // There is a namespace that now _must_ be revealed again to users so they can repair it in unfortunate circumstances.
-            // We will instead reveal all internal namespaces under a setting removing this filter altogether in COMPASS-10954.
-            return !ns.internal || ns.database === '__mdb_internal_search';
-          })
+          .filter((db) => showHiddenNamespaces || !toNS(db._id).internal)
           .map(({ _id, name, inferred_from_privileges }) => ({
             _id,
             name,
diff --git a/packages/database-model/test/index.test.js b/packages/database-model/test/index.test.js
index 344b28e4350..501046e147b 100644
--- a/packages/database-model/test/index.test.js
+++ b/packages/database-model/test/index.test.js
@@ -8,39 +8,65 @@ describe('mongodb-database-model', function () {
   });
 
   describe('DatabaseCollection#fetch', function () {
-    function createFakeInstance() {
+    function createFakeInstance({ showHiddenNamespaces }) {
       return {
         modelType: 'Instance',
         shouldFetchNamespacesFromPrivileges() {
           return false;
         },
+        shouldShowHiddenNamespaces() {
+          return showHiddenNamespaces;
+        },
         auth: { privileges: null, roles: null },
         emit: function () {},
       };
     }
 
-    it('filters out internal (__mdb_internal_) databases from the list except search', async function () {
-      var databases = new Database.Collection([], {
-        parent: createFakeInstance(),
-      });
-
-      var dataService = {
+    function createDataService() {
+      return {
         listDatabases: async function () {
           return [
             { _id: 'admin' },
             { _id: 'test' },
-            { _id: '__mdb_internal_atlas' },
-            { _id: '__mdb_internal_search' },
+            { _id: 'config' },
             { _id: 'local' },
+            { _id: '__mdb_internal_search' },
+            { _id: '__mdb_internal_atlas' },
           ];
         },
       };
+    }
+
+    it('hides internal (__mdb_internal_) databases by default', async function () {
+      var databases = new Database.Collection([], {
+        parent: createFakeInstance({ showHiddenNamespaces: false }),
+      });
+
+      await databases.fetch({ dataService: createDataService() });
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        databases.map(({ _id }) => _id),
+        ['admin', 'config', 'local', 'test']
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('keeps internal (__mdb_internal_) databases when showHiddenNamespaces is enabled', async function () {
+      var databases = new Database.Collection([], {
+        parent: createFakeInstance({ showHiddenNamespaces: true }),
+      });
 
-      await databases.fetch({ dataService: dataService });
+      await databases.fetch({ dataService: createDataService() });
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(
         databases.map(({ _id }) => _id),
-        ['__mdb_internal_search', 'admin', 'local', 'test']
+        [
+          '__mdb_internal_atlas',
+          '__mdb_internal_search',
+          'admin',
+          'config',
+          'local',
+          'test',
+        ]
       );
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/instance-model/lib/model.js b/packages/instance-model/lib/model.js
index 0d2238ebcf6..79fdd5dc45f 100644
--- a/packages/instance-model/lib/model.js
+++ b/packages/instance-model/lib/model.js
@@ -404,6 +404,10 @@ const InstanceModel = AmpersandModel.extend(
       return this.preferences.getPreferences().inferNamespacesFromPrivileges;
     },
 
+    shouldShowHiddenNamespaces() {
+      return this.preferences.getPreferences().showHiddenNamespaces;
+    },
+
     removeAllListeners() {
       InstanceModel.removeAllListeners(this);
     },