diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/main.go b/kittens/choose_files/main.go
index 251f38b8c..07cafee0b 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/main.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"regexp"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/cli"
@@ -16,6 +17,12 @@ import (
 var _ = fmt.Print
 var debugprintln = tty.DebugPrintln
 
+type ScorePattern struct {
+	pat *regexp.Regexp
+	op  func(float64, float64) float64
+	val float64
+}
+
 type State struct {
 	base_dir         string
 	current_dir      string
@@ -23,6 +30,7 @@ type State struct {
 	multiselect      bool
 	max_depth        int
 	exclude_patterns []*regexp.Regexp
+	score_patterns   []ScorePattern
 	search_text      string
 }
 
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@ func (s State) MaxDepth() int                     { return utils.IfElse(s.max_de
 func (s State) String() string                    { return utils.Repr(s) }
 func (s State) SearchText() string                { return s.search_text }
 func (s State) ExcludePatterns() []*regexp.Regexp { return s.exclude_patterns }
+func (s State) ScorePatterns() []ScorePattern     { return s.score_patterns }
 func (s State) CurrentDir() string {
 	return utils.IfElse(s.current_dir == "", s.BaseDir(), s.current_dir)
 }
@@ -114,8 +123,13 @@ func (h *Handler) OnText(text string, from_key_event, in_bracketed_paste bool) (
 	return h.draw_screen()
 }
 
+func mult(a, b float64) float64 { return a * b }
+func sub(a, b float64) float64  { return a - b }
+func add(a, b float64) float64  { return a + b }
+func div(a, b float64) float64  { return a / b }
+
 func (h *Handler) set_state_from_config(conf *Config) (err error) {
-	h.state.max_depth = int(conf.Max_depth)
+	h.state = State{max_depth: int(conf.Max_depth)}
 	h.state.exclude_patterns = make([]*regexp.Regexp, 0, len(conf.Exclude_directory))
 	seen := map[string]*regexp.Regexp{}
 	for _, x := range conf.Exclude_directory {
@@ -130,6 +144,25 @@ func (h *Handler) set_state_from_config(conf *Config) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 	h.state.exclude_patterns = utils.Values(seen)
+	fmap := map[string]func(float64, float64) float64{
+		"*=": mult, "+=": add, "-=": sub, "/=": div}
+	h.state.score_patterns = make([]ScorePattern, len(conf.Modify_score))
+	for i, x := range conf.Modify_score {
+		p, rest, _ := strings.Cut(x, " ")
+		if h.state.score_patterns[i].pat, err = regexp.Compile(p); err == nil {
+			op, val, _ := strings.Cut(rest, " ")
+			if h.state.score_patterns[i].val, err = strconv.ParseFloat(val, 64); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("The modify score value %#v is invalid: %w", val, err)
+			}
+			if h.state.score_patterns[i].op = fmap[op]; h.state.score_patterns[i].op == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("The modify score operator %#v is unknown", op)
+			}
+
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("The modify score pattern %#v is invalid: %w", x, err)
+		}
+
+	}
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/main.py b/kittens/choose_files/main.py
index 95e5fe6c9..ca7830faf 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/main.py
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/main.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
     add_to_default=True,
     long_text='''
 Regular expression to exclude directories. Matching directories will not be recursed into, but
-you can still or change into them to inspect their contents. Can be specified multiple times. Matches against the absolute path to the directory.
+you can still or change into them to inspect their contents. Can be specified multiple times.
+Matches against the absolute path to the directory.
 If the pattern starts with :code:`!`, the :code:`!` is removed and the remaining pattern is removed from the list of patterns. This
 can be used to remove the default excluded directory patterns.
 ''',
@@ -37,6 +38,13 @@
 The maximum depth to which to scan the filesystem for matches. Using large values will slow things down considerably. The better
 approach is to use a small value and first change to the directory of interest then actually select the file of interest.
 ''')
+
+opt('+modify_score', r'(^|/)\.[^/]+(/|$) *= 0.5', add_to_default=True, long_text='''
+Modify the score of items matching the specified regular expression (matches against the absolute path).
+Can be used to make certain files and directories less or more prominent in the results.
+Can be specified multiple times. The default includes rules to reduce the score of hidden items.
+The syntax is :code:`regular-expression operator value`. Supported operators are: :code:`*=, +=, -=, /=`.
+''')
 egr()
 
 def main(args: list[str]) -> None:
diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/results.go b/kittens/choose_files/results.go
index b6f26b0f1..fc84ea9ca 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/results.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/results.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (h *Handler) draw_no_matches_message(in_progress bool) {
 
 const matching_position_style = "fg=green"
 
-func (h *Handler) draw_matching_result(r ResultItem) {
+func (h *Handler) draw_matching_result(r *ResultItem) {
 	icon := icon_for(r.abspath, r.dir_entry)
 	h.lp.MoveCursorHorizontally(1)
 	p, s, _ := strings.Cut(h.lp.SprintStyled(matching_position_style, " "), " ")
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func icon_for(path string, x os.DirEntry) string {
 	return ans
 }
 
-func (h *Handler) draw_column_of_matches(matches []ResultItem, x, available_width, num_extra_matches int) {
+func (h *Handler) draw_column_of_matches(matches []*ResultItem, x, available_width, num_extra_matches int) {
 	for i, m := range matches {
 		h.lp.QueueWriteString("\r")
 		h.lp.MoveCursorHorizontally(x)
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func (h *Handler) draw_column_of_matches(matches []ResultItem, x, available_widt
 	}
 }
 
-func (h *Handler) draw_list_of_results(matches []ResultItem, y, height int) {
+func (h *Handler) draw_list_of_results(matches []*ResultItem, y, height int) {
 	if len(matches) == 0 || height < 2 {
 		return
 	}
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func (h *Handler) draw_list_of_results(matches []ResultItem, y, height int) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (h *Handler) draw_results(y, bottom_margin int, matches []ResultItem, in_progress bool) (height int) {
+func (h *Handler) draw_results(y, bottom_margin int, matches []*ResultItem, in_progress bool) (height int) {
 	height = h.screen_size.height - y - bottom_margin
 	h.lp.MoveCursorTo(1, 1+y)
 	h.draw_frame(h.screen_size.width, height)
diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/scan.go b/kittens/choose_files/scan.go
index 292122d90..a80873c97 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/scan.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/scan.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ type ScanCache struct {
 	mutex                 sync.Mutex
 	root_dir, search_text string
 	in_progress           bool
-	matches               []ResultItem
+	matches               []*ResultItem
 }
 
 func (sc *ScanCache) get_cached_entries(root_dir string) (ans []ResultItem, found bool) {
@@ -93,48 +94,72 @@ func (sc *ScanCache) fs_scan(root_dir, current_dir string, max_depth int, exclud
 	return
 }
 
-func (sc *ScanCache) scan(root_dir, search_text string, max_depth int, exclude_patterns []*regexp.Regexp) (ans []ResultItem) {
-	seen := make(map[string]bool, 1024)
-	ans = sc.fs_scan(root_dir, root_dir, max_depth, exclude_patterns, seen)
-	if search_text == "" {
-		slices.SortFunc(ans, func(a, b ResultItem) int {
-			switch a.dir_entry.IsDir() {
-			case true:
-				switch b.dir_entry.IsDir() {
-				case true:
-					return strings.Compare(strings.ToLower(a.text), strings.ToLower(b.text))
-				case false:
-					return -1
-				}
-			case false:
-				switch b.dir_entry.IsDir() {
-				case true:
-					return 1
-				case false:
-					return strings.Compare(strings.ToLower(a.text), strings.ToLower(b.text))
-				}
-			}
-			return 0
-		})
-	} else {
-		pm := make(map[string]ResultItem, len(ans))
-		for _, x := range ans {
-			pm[x.text] = x
-		}
-		matches := utils.Filter(subseq.ScoreItems(search_text, utils.Keys(pm), subseq.Options{}), func(x *subseq.Match) bool {
-			return x.Score > 0
-		})
-		slices.SortFunc(matches, func(a, b *subseq.Match) int { return cmp.Compare(b.Score, a.Score) })
-		ans = utils.Map(func(m *subseq.Match) ResultItem {
-			x := pm[m.Text]
-			x.positions = m.Positions
-			return x
-		}, matches)
+func sort_items_without_search_text(items []ResultItem) (ans []*ResultItem) {
+	type s struct {
+		ltext          string
+		num_of_slashes int
+		is_dir         bool
+		is_hidden      bool
+		r              *ResultItem
 	}
-	return ans
+	hidden_pat := regexp.MustCompile(`(^|/)\.[^/]+(/|$)`)
+	d := utils.Map(func(x ResultItem) s {
+		return s{strings.ToLower(x.text), strings.Count(x.text, "/"), x.dir_entry.IsDir(), hidden_pat.MatchString(x.abspath), &x}
+	}, items)
+	sort.Slice(d, func(i, j int) bool {
+		a, b := d[i], d[j]
+		if a.num_of_slashes == b.num_of_slashes {
+			if a.is_dir == b.is_dir {
+				if a.is_hidden == b.is_hidden {
+					return a.ltext < b.ltext
+				}
+				return b.is_hidden
+			}
+			return a.is_dir
+		}
+		return a.num_of_slashes < b.num_of_slashes
+	})
+	return utils.Map(func(s s) *ResultItem { return s.r }, d)
 }
 
-func (h *Handler) get_results() (ans []ResultItem, in_progress bool) {
+func get_modified_score(r *ResultItem, score float64, score_patterns []ScorePattern) float64 {
+	for _, sp := range score_patterns {
+		if sp.pat.MatchString(r.abspath) {
+			score = sp.op(score, sp.val)
+		}
+	}
+	return score
+}
+
+func (sc *ScanCache) scan(root_dir, search_text string, max_depth int, exclude_patterns []*regexp.Regexp, score_patterns []ScorePattern) (ans []*ResultItem) {
+	seen := make(map[string]bool, 1024)
+	matches := sc.fs_scan(root_dir, root_dir, max_depth, exclude_patterns, seen)
+	if search_text == "" {
+		ans = sort_items_without_search_text(matches)
+		return
+	}
+	pm := make(map[string]*ResultItem, len(ans))
+	for _, x := range matches {
+		nx := x
+		pm[x.text] = &nx
+	}
+	matches2 := utils.Filter(subseq.ScoreItems(search_text, utils.Keys(pm), subseq.Options{}), func(x *subseq.Match) bool {
+		return x.Score > 0
+	})
+	type s struct {
+		r     *ResultItem
+		score float64
+	}
+	ss := utils.Map(func(m *subseq.Match) s {
+		x := pm[m.Text]
+		x.positions = m.Positions
+		return s{x, get_modified_score(x, m.Score, score_patterns)}
+	}, matches2)
+	slices.SortFunc(ss, func(a, b s) int { return cmp.Compare(b.score, a.score) })
+	return utils.Map(func(s s) *ResultItem { return s.r }, ss)
+}
+
+func (h *Handler) get_results() (ans []*ResultItem, in_progress bool) {
 	sc := &h.scan_cache
 	sc.mutex.Lock()
 	defer sc.mutex.Unlock()
@@ -150,8 +175,9 @@ func (h *Handler) get_results() (ans []ResultItem, in_progress bool) {
 	search_text := h.state.SearchText()
 	sc.root_dir = root_dir
 	sc.search_text = search_text
+	md, ep, sp := h.state.MaxDepth(), h.state.ExcludePatterns(), h.state.ScorePatterns()
 	go func() {
-		results := sc.scan(root_dir, search_text, h.state.MaxDepth(), h.state.ExcludePatterns())
+		results := sc.scan(root_dir, search_text, md, ep, sp)
 		sc.mutex.Lock()
 		defer sc.mutex.Unlock()
 		if root_dir == sc.root_dir && search_text == sc.search_text {