diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
index 5438eb2122ea0..3cdc83102983a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ public enum Option {
         new IndicesOptions(EnumSet.of(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES), EnumSet.of(WildcardStates.OPEN, WildcardStates.CLOSED));
     public static final IndicesOptions STRICT_EXPAND_OPEN_FORBID_CLOSED =
         new IndicesOptions(EnumSet.of(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES, Option.FORBID_CLOSED_INDICES), EnumSet.of(WildcardStates.OPEN));
+    public static final IndicesOptions STRICT_EXPAND_OPEN_HIDDEN_FORBID_CLOSED =
+        new IndicesOptions(EnumSet.of(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES, Option.FORBID_CLOSED_INDICES),
+            EnumSet.of(WildcardStates.OPEN, WildcardStates.HIDDEN));
     public static final IndicesOptions STRICT_EXPAND_OPEN_FORBID_CLOSED_IGNORE_THROTTLED =
         new IndicesOptions(EnumSet.of(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES, Option.FORBID_CLOSED_INDICES, Option.IGNORE_THROTTLED),
             EnumSet.of(WildcardStates.OPEN));
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
index 9bac4976be212..5d9d71ba06823 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ public class MetaDataCreateIndexService {
      * These index patterns will be converted to hidden indices, at which point they should be removed from this list.
      */
     private static final CharacterRunAutomaton DOT_INDICES_EXCLUSIONS = new CharacterRunAutomaton(Regex.simpleMatchToAutomaton(
-        ".watch-history-*",
         ".data-frame-notifications-*",
         ".transform-notifications-*"
     ));
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexServiceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexServiceTests.java
index 7d0d065f611ff..1ad07109b8d07 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexServiceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexServiceTests.java
@@ -617,7 +617,6 @@ public void testValidateDotIndex() {
     public void testIndexNameExclusionsList() {
         // this test case should be removed when DOT_INDICES_EXCLUSIONS is empty
         List<String> excludedNames = Arrays.asList(
-            ".watch-history-" + randomAlphaOfLength(5).toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT),
             ".data-frame-notifications-" + randomAlphaOfLength(5).toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT),
             ".transform-notifications-" + randomAlphaOfLength(5).toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT)
         );
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
index 24ab6803e6e7c..3116792c502d6 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
@@ -1146,7 +1146,8 @@ protected final IndexResponse index(String index, String id, String source) {
     protected final RefreshResponse refresh(String... indices) {
         waitForRelocation();
         // TODO RANDOMIZE with flush?
-        RefreshResponse actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh(indices).execute().actionGet();
+        RefreshResponse actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh(indices)
+            .setIndicesOptions(IndicesOptions.STRICT_EXPAND_OPEN_HIDDEN_FORBID_CLOSED).execute().actionGet();
         assertNoFailures(actionGet);
         return actionGet;
     }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.java
index 9eaf0237ffdc1..2c3442956d113 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.java
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ public final class WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField {
     // version 8: fix slack attachment property not to be dynamic, causing field type issues
     // version 9: add a user field defining which user executed the watch
     // version 10: add support for foreach path in actions
+    // version 11: watch history indices are hidden
     // Note: if you change this, also inform the kibana team around the watcher-ui
-    public static final int INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION = 10;
+    public static final int INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION = 11;
     public static final String HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME = ".watch-history-" + INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION;
     public static final String HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME_NO_ILM = ".watch-history-no-ilm-" + INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION;
     public static final String TRIGGERED_TEMPLATE_NAME = ".triggered_watches";
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history-no-ilm.json b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history-no-ilm.json
index 5b3186a9a6c12..7b5910508392d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history-no-ilm.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history-no-ilm.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     "index.number_of_shards": 1,
     "index.number_of_replicas": 0,
     "index.auto_expand_replicas": "0-1",
+    "index.hidden": true,
     "index.format": 6
   },
   "mappings": {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history.json b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history.json
index d35ddd9afd24c..109ca95d75190 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/resources/watch-history.json
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     "index.number_of_replicas": 0,
     "index.auto_expand_replicas": "0-1",
     "index.lifecycle.name": "watch-history-ilm-policy",
+    "index.hidden": true,
     "index.format": 6
   },
   "mappings": {