diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a64ca378..1a7b8603 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 ## Release notes
 
-### 0.14.3 -- Sep 20, 2024
-- Added - `dj.Top` restriction ([#1024](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1024)) PR [#1084](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1084)
+### 0.14.3 -- Sep 23, 2024
+- Added - `dj.Top` restriction - PR [#1024](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1024)) PR [#1084](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1084)
 - Fixed - Added encapsulating double quotes to comply with [DOT language](https://graphviz.org/doc/info/lang.html) - PR [#1177](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1177)
-- Added - Datajoint python CLI ([#940](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/940)) PR [#1095](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1095)
+- Added - Datajoint python CLI ([#940](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/940)) - PR [#1095](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1095)
 - Added - Ability to set hidden attributes on a table - PR [#1091](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1091)
 - Added - Ability to specify a list of keys to populate - PR [#989](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/989)
-- Fixed - fixed topological sort [#1057](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1057)- PR [#1184](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1184)
-- Fixed - .parts() not always returning parts [#1103](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1103)- PR [#1184](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1184)
-- Changed - replace `setup.py` with `pyproject.toml` PR [#1183](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1183)
+- Fixed - fixed topological sort [#1057](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1057) - PR [#1184](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1184)
+- Fixed - .parts() not always returning parts [#1103](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/issues/1103) - PR [#1184](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1184)
+- Changed - replace `setup.py` with `pyproject.toml` - PR [#1183](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1183)
+- Changed - disable `add_hidden_timestamp` configuration option by default - PR [#1188](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1188)
 
 ### 0.14.2 -- Aug 19, 2024
 - Added - Migrate nosetests to pytest - PR [#1142](https://github.com/datajoint/datajoint-python/pull/1142)
diff --git a/datajoint/declare.py b/datajoint/declare.py
index 1c02564a..b1194880 100644
--- a/datajoint/declare.py
+++ b/datajoint/declare.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from .errors import DataJointError, _support_filepath_types, FILEPATH_FEATURE_SWITCH
 from .attribute_adapter import get_adapter
 from .condition import translate_attribute
+from .settings import config
 
 UUID_DATA_TYPE = "binary(16)"
 MAX_TABLE_NAME_LENGTH = 64
@@ -311,17 +312,18 @@ def declare(full_table_name, definition, context):
         external_stores,
     ) = prepare_declare(definition, context)
 
-    metadata_attr_sql = [
-        "`_{full_table_name}_timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"
-    ]
-    attribute_sql.extend(
-        attr.format(
-            full_table_name=sha1(
-                full_table_name.replace("`", "").encode("utf-8")
-            ).hexdigest()
+    if config.get("add_hidden_timestamp", False):
+        metadata_attr_sql = [
+            "`_{full_table_name}_timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"
+        ]
+        attribute_sql.extend(
+            attr.format(
+                full_table_name=sha1(
+                    full_table_name.replace("`", "").encode("utf-8")
+                ).hexdigest()
+            )
+            for attr in metadata_attr_sql
         )
-        for attr in metadata_attr_sql
-    )
 
     if not primary_key:
         raise DataJointError("Table must have a primary key")
diff --git a/datajoint/settings.py b/datajoint/settings.py
index 4fc7f301..cdf27891 100644
--- a/datajoint/settings.py
+++ b/datajoint/settings.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
         "display.show_tuple_count": True,
         "database.use_tls": None,
         "enable_python_native_blobs": True,  # python-native/dj0 encoding support
+        "add_hidden_timestamp": False,
         "filepath_checksum_size_limit": None,  # file size limit for when to disable checksums
     }
 )
diff --git a/tests/test_declare.py b/tests/test_declare.py
index f848d31c..b3c92829 100644
--- a/tests/test_declare.py
+++ b/tests/test_declare.py
@@ -3,6 +3,25 @@
 import datajoint as dj
 import inspect
 from datajoint.declare import declare
+from datajoint.settings import config
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def enable_add_hidden_timestamp():
+    orig_config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
+    config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = True
+    yield
+    if orig_config_val is not None:
+        config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = orig_config_val
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def disable_add_hidden_timestamp():
+    orig_config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
+    config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = False
+    yield
+    if orig_config_val is not None:
+        config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = orig_config_val
 
 
 def test_schema_decorator(schema_any):
@@ -373,9 +392,36 @@ class Table_With_Underscores(dj.Manual):
         schema_any(Table_With_Underscores)
 
 
-def test_hidden_attributes(schema_any):
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_default_value():
+    config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
     assert (
-        list(Experiment().heading._attributes.keys())[-1].split("_")[2] == "timestamp"
-    )
-    assert any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values())
-    assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading.attributes.values())
+        config_val is not None and not config_val
+    ), "Default value for add_hidden_timestamp is not False"
+
+
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_enabled(enable_add_hidden_timestamp, schema_any):
+    assert config["add_hidden_timestamp"], "add_hidden_timestamp is not enabled"
+    msg = f"{Experiment().heading._attributes=}"
+    assert any(
+        a.name.endswith("_timestamp") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
+    ), msg
+    assert any(
+        a.name.startswith("_") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
+    ), msg
+    assert any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()), msg
+    assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading.attributes.values()), msg
+
+
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_disabled(disable_add_hidden_timestamp, schema_any):
+    assert not config[
+        "add_hidden_timestamp"
+    ], "expected add_hidden_timestamp to be False"
+    msg = f"{Experiment().heading._attributes=}"
+    assert not any(
+        a.name.endswith("_timestamp") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
+    ), msg
+    assert not any(
+        a.name.startswith("_") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
+    ), msg
+    assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()), msg
+    assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading.attributes.values()), msg