diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
index 807561c4c..05eb2e564 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ public <V> N setHint(final RepresentationHint<V> hint, final @Nullable V value)
             return (V) value;
         }
         final @Nullable A parent = this.parent;
-        if (parent != null) {
+        if (parent != null && hint.isInheritable()) {
             return parent.getHint(hint);
         } else {
             return hint.getDefaultValue();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java
index 789cd8c0e..c19778d30 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java
@@ -32,22 +32,44 @@
 @AutoValue
 public abstract class RepresentationHint<V> {
 
-    public static final RepresentationHint<Integer> INDENT = of("indent", Integer.class);
-
+    /**
+     * Create a new basic representation hint.
+     *
+     * <p>The created hint will be inheritable and have no default
+     * value set.</p>
+     *
+     * @param identifier hint identifier
+     * @param valueType type of value the hint will hold
+     * @param <V> value type
+     * @return a new hint
+     */
     public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final Class<V> valueType) {
-        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, TypeToken.get(valueType), null);
+        return RepresentationHint.<V>builder().setIdentifier(identifier).setValueType(valueType).build();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Create a new basic representation hint.
+     *
+     * <p>The created hint will be inheritable and have no default
+     * value set.</p>
+     *
+     * @param identifier hint identifier
+     * @param valueType type of value the hint will hold
+     * @param <V> value type
+     * @return a new hint
+     */
     public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final TypeToken<V> valueType) {
-        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, valueType, null);
-    }
-
-    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final Class<V> valueType, final V defaultValue) {
-        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, TypeToken.get(valueType), defaultValue);
+        return RepresentationHint.<V>builder().setIdentifier(identifier).setValueType(valueType).build();
     }
 
-    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final TypeToken<V> valueType, final V defaultValue) {
-        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, valueType, defaultValue);
+    /**
+     * Create a builder for a new hint.
+     *
+     * @param <V> value type
+     * @return a new builder
+     */
+    public static <V> Builder<V> builder() {
+        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint.Builder<>();
     }
 
     RepresentationHint() { }
@@ -74,4 +96,86 @@ public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final TypeTo
      */
     public abstract @Nullable V getDefaultValue();
 
+    /**
+     * Get whether or not this hint can draw its value from parent nodes.
+     *
+     * @return if inheritable
+     */
+    public abstract boolean isInheritable();
+
+    /**
+     * A builder for {@link RepresentationHint}s.
+     *
+     * @param <V> value type
+     */
+    @AutoValue.Builder
+    public abstract static class Builder<V> {
+
+        Builder() {
+            this.setInheritable(true);
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Set the identifier to refer to this hint.
+         *
+         * @param identifier hint identifier
+         * @return this builder
+         */
+        public abstract Builder<V> setIdentifier(String identifier);
+
+        /**
+         * Set the type used for this node's value.
+         *
+         * <p>Raw types are forbidden.</p>
+         *
+         * @param valueType the value type
+         * @return this builder
+         */
+        public final Builder<V> setValueType(final Class<V> valueType) {
+            return setValueType(TypeToken.get(valueType));
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Set the type used for this node's value.
+         *
+         * <p>Raw types are forbidden.</p>
+         *
+         * @param valueType the value type
+         * @return this builder
+         */
+        public abstract Builder<V> setValueType(TypeToken<V> valueType);
+
+        /**
+         * Set the default value when this hint is not present in the hierarchy.
+         *
+         * <p>This defaults to {@code null}.</p>
+         *
+         * @param defaultValue Default value
+         * @return this builder
+         */
+        public abstract Builder<V> setDefaultValue(@Nullable V defaultValue);
+
+        /**
+         * Set whether or not the hint can be inherited.
+         *
+         * <p>Defaults to {@code true}.</p>
+         *
+         * @param inheritable if inheritable
+         * @return this builder
+         * @see #isInheritable()
+         */
+        public abstract Builder<V> setInheritable(boolean inheritable);
+
+        /**
+         * Create a new hint from the provided options.
+         *
+         * <p>The {@code identifier} and {@code valueType} must have been set to
+         * build a complete hint.</p>
+         *
+         * @return a new representation hint
+         */
+        public abstract RepresentationHint<V> build();
+
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNodeTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNodeTest.java
index c94ba2e90..3ee3a4cb6 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNodeTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNodeTest.java
@@ -323,6 +323,18 @@ void testNullOutListValue() {
      */
     private static final RepresentationHint<Boolean> IS_EVIL = RepresentationHint.of("evil", Boolean.class);
 
+    /**
+     * A representation hint for indentation
+     */
+    public static final RepresentationHint<Integer> INDENT = RepresentationHint.of("indent", Integer.class);
+
+    public static final RepresentationHint<String> NAME =
+            RepresentationHint.<String>builder()
+                    .setIdentifier("name")
+                    .setValueType(String.class)
+                    .setInheritable(false)
+                    .build();
+
     @Test
     void testHintsReadWrite() {
         final ConfigurationNode node = BasicConfigurationNode.root();
@@ -355,6 +367,15 @@ void testGetHintInherited() {
         assertEquals(false, root.getHint(IS_EVIL));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testNonInheritableHints() {
+        final ConfigurationNode root = BasicConfigurationNode.root();
+        root.setHint(NAME, "secondary");
+
+        final ConfigurationNode child = root.getNode("other");
+        assertNull(child.getHint(NAME));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testHintsCopied() {
         final ConfigurationNode original = BasicConfigurationNode.root();
@@ -375,16 +396,16 @@ void testHintsMerged() {
                 .setHint(IS_EVIL, true);
         final ConfigurationNode mergeTarget = BasicConfigurationNode.root()
                 .setValue('o')
-                .setHint(RepresentationHint.INDENT, 34);
+                .setHint(INDENT, 34);
 
         mergeTarget.mergeValuesFrom(hintHolder);
 
-        assertEquals(34, mergeTarget.getHint(RepresentationHint.INDENT));
+        assertEquals(34, mergeTarget.getHint(INDENT));
         assertEquals(true, mergeTarget.getHint(IS_EVIL));
     }
 
     @Test
-    void testCollectToMap() throws ObjectMappingException {
+    void testCollectToMap() {
         final ConfigurationNode target = ImmutableMap.of("one", 3,
                 "two", 28,
                 "test", 14).entrySet().stream()