diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index 52c72df..d87933a 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,25 @@ declare namespace slugify {
 		```
 		*/
 		readonly customReplacements?: ReadonlyArray<[string, string]>;
+
+		/**
+		If your string starts with an underscore, it will be preserved in the slugified string. 
+		Sometimes leading underscores are intentional, for example, filenames representing hidden paths on a website.
+
+		@default false
+
+		@example
+		```
+		import slugify = require('@sindresorhus/slugify');
+
+		slugify('_foo_bar');
+		//=> 'foo-bar'
+
+		slugify('_foo_bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true});
+		//=> '_foo-bar'
+		```
+		*/
+		readonly preserveLeadingUnderscore?: boolean;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 5f49fa8..6a74cae 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ const slugify = (string, options) => {
 		lowercase: true,
 		decamelize: true,
 		customReplacements: [],
+		preserveLeadingUnderscore: false,
 		...options
 	};
 
+	const shouldPrependUnderscore = options.preserveLeadingUnderscore && string.startsWith('_');
+
 	const separator = escapeStringRegexp(options.separator);
 
 	const customReplacements = new Map([
@@ -68,6 +71,10 @@ const slugify = (string, options) => {
 	string = string.replace(/\\/g, '');
 	string = removeMootSeparators(string, separator);
 
+	if (shouldPrependUnderscore) {
+		string = `_${string}`;
+	}
+
 	return string;
 };
 
diff --git a/index.test-d.ts b/index.test-d.ts
index 9cf8690..e6b83bf 100644
--- a/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/index.test-d.ts
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ expectType<string>(slugify('fooBar', {decamelize: false}));
 expectType<string>(
 	slugify('I ♥ 🦄 & 🐶', {customReplacements: [['🐶', 'dog']]})
 );
+expectType<string>(slugify('_foo_bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true}));
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 59298ac..4ee157d 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -132,6 +132,25 @@ slugify('foo@unicorn', {
 //=> 'foo-at-unicorn'
 ```
 
+##### preserveLeadingUnderscore
+
+Type: `boolean`\
+Default: `false`
+
+If your string starts with an underscore, it will be preserved in the slugified string.
+
+Sometimes leading underscores are intentional, for example, filenames representing hidden paths on a website.
+
+```js
+const slugify = require('@sindresorhus/slugify');
+
+slugify('_foo_bar');
+//=> 'foo-bar'
+
+slugify('_foo_bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true});
+//=> '_foo-bar'
+```
+
 ## Related
 
 - [slugify-cli](https://github.com/sindresorhus/slugify-cli) - CLI for this module
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 8c10156..4bab671 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -124,3 +124,10 @@ test('supports Turkish', t => {
 test('supports Armenian', t => {
 	t.is(slugify('Ե ր ե ւ ա ն', {lowercase: false, separator: ' '}), 're ye v a n');
 });
+
+test('leading underscore', t => {
+	t.is(slugify('_foo bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true}), '_foo-bar');
+	t.is(slugify('_foo_bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true}), '_foo-bar');
+	t.is(slugify('__foo__bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true}), '_foo-bar');
+	t.is(slugify('____-___foo__bar', {preserveLeadingUnderscore: true}), '_foo-bar');
+});