diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7d5baf2..8662688 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,13 +29,14 @@ Add an entry to your `config.rb` like this:
      AppConfig[:user_defined_in_basic] = {
        'accessions' => ['boolean_1', 'enum_2', 'real_2'],
        'digital_objects' => [],
-       'resources' => ['string_2', 'date_1', 'boolean_1']
+       'resources' => ['string_2', 'date_1', 'boolean_1'],
+       'hide_user_defined_section' => true
      }
 
 If you don't have a `:user_defined_in_basic` entry the plugin won't do anything.
 It will log a warning at startup.
 
-The three keys shown (`accessions`, `resources`, and `digital_objects`) are the
+The three keys, `accessions`, `resources`, and `digital_objects`, are the
 record types that can have a `user_defined` subrecord. For each key specified
 a `user_defined` subrecord will be automatically added when a new record
 is created through the staff UI, or will be added to an existing record when
@@ -53,3 +54,8 @@ to see in the `Basic Information`. The fields specified will be moved to the
 If you specify a field that doesn't exist in the `user_defined` record,
 a warning will be logged at startup.
 
+The `hide_user_defined_section` key is optional. If specified with a value of
+`true`, then the User Defined section will be hidden in View and Edit modes.
+This will give a cleaner display, but it means it will only be possible to
+edit the user defined fields that have been moved to the Basic Information
+section.
diff --git a/frontend/assets/user_defined_in_basic.js b/frontend/assets/user_defined_in_basic.js
index a21ed49..8d593c6 100644
--- a/frontend/assets/user_defined_in_basic.js
+++ b/frontend/assets/user_defined_in_basic.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 function UserDefinedInBasic() {
 }
 
-UserDefinedInBasic.prototype.init = function(fields, read_only_view) {
+UserDefinedInBasic.prototype.init = function(fields, read_only_view, hide_user_defined_section) {
     var bi = $("#basic_information");
 
     if (bi.length == 0) {
@@ -15,10 +15,20 @@ UserDefinedInBasic.prototype.init = function(fields, read_only_view) {
     var remove_btn = user_defined_section.find('.subrecord-form-remove');
     if (remove_btn.length == 0) {
         user_defined_section.find('.btn-default').filter(':visible').click();
-        user_defined_section.find('.subrecord-form-remove').attr('disabled', 'disabled');
         window.scrollTo(0,0);
+    }
+
+    // hide the remains of the user defined section if configured thus
+    if (hide_user_defined_section) {
+	if (read_only_view) {
+	    $('section[id$=_user_defined_]').hide();
+	} else {
+	    user_defined_section.hide();
+	}
     } else {
-        remove_btn.attr('disabled', 'disabled');
+	if (!read_only_view) {
+	    user_defined_section.find('.subrecord-form-remove').attr('disabled', 'disabled');
+	}
     }
 
     fields.map(function (field) {
diff --git a/frontend/plugin_init.rb b/frontend/plugin_init.rb
index 552bd05..23edb21 100644
--- a/frontend/plugin_init.rb
+++ b/frontend/plugin_init.rb
@@ -3,14 +3,17 @@
   # check configuration
   if AppConfig.has_key?(:user_defined_in_basic)
     AppConfig[:user_defined_in_basic].each do |keys, fields|
-      fields.each do |field|
-        unless JSONModel(:user_defined).schema['properties'].include?(field)
-          $stderr.puts "WARNING: user_defined_in_basic plugin configuration includes " +
-                       "a field (#{fld}) in the list for #{k} which is not a user_defined field. " +
-                       "That's ok, we're just concerned you might have intended to refer to an actual field."
+      if fields.respond_to?(:each)
+        fields.each do |field|
+          unless JSONModel(:user_defined).schema['properties'].include?(field)
+            $stderr.puts "WARNING: user_defined_in_basic plugin configuration includes " +
+              "a field (#{fld}) in the list for #{k} which is not a user_defined field. " +
+              "That's ok, we're just concerned you might have intended to refer to an actual field."
+          end
         end
       end
     end
+    AppConfig[:user_defined_in_basic]['hide_user_defined_section'] ||= false
   else
     $stderr.puts "WARNING: user_defined_in_basic plugin is active but not configured. " +
       "That's ok, it just won't do anything."
diff --git a/frontend/views/layout_head.html.erb b/frontend/views/layout_head.html.erb
index cfa4a16..890da59 100644
--- a/frontend/views/layout_head.html.erb
+++ b/frontend/views/layout_head.html.erb
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@ end
     <script>
      var fields = <%= ASUtils.to_json(map_user_defined_to_labels(AppConfig[:user_defined_in_basic].fetch(controller.controller_name, []))).html_safe %>;
      var read_only_view = <%= controller.action_name == 'show' %>;
-     
+     var hide_user_defined_section = <%= AppConfig[:user_defined_in_basic]['hide_user_defined_section'] %>;
+
      var init = function () {
          // Funny setTimeout here to move our initialization to the
          // end of the page load.  We need this to run after the user
          // defined field subform is in and its buttons have been wired
          // up.
          setTimeout(function () {
-             new UserDefinedInBasic().init(fields, read_only_view);
+             new UserDefinedInBasic().init(fields, read_only_view, hide_user_defined_section);
          }, 0);
      }