diff --git a/datajoint/declare.py b/datajoint/declare.py
index d813374a..b1194880 100644
--- a/datajoint/declare.py
+++ b/datajoint/declare.py
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ def declare(full_table_name, definition, context):
         external_stores,
     ) = prepare_declare(definition, context)
 
-    if config.get("enable_hidden_attributes", False):
+    if config.get("add_hidden_timestamp", False):
         metadata_attr_sql = [
             "`_{full_table_name}_timestamp` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"
         ]
diff --git a/datajoint/settings.py b/datajoint/settings.py
index e1779859..cdf27891 100644
--- a/datajoint/settings.py
+++ b/datajoint/settings.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
         "display.show_tuple_count": True,
         "database.use_tls": None,
         "enable_python_native_blobs": True,  # python-native/dj0 encoding support
-        "enable_hidden_attributes": False,
+        "add_hidden_timestamp": False,
         "filepath_checksum_size_limit": None,  # file size limit for when to disable checksums
     }
 )
diff --git a/tests/test_declare.py b/tests/test_declare.py
index dc60deb9..1b186778 100644
--- a/tests/test_declare.py
+++ b/tests/test_declare.py
@@ -7,21 +7,21 @@
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="function")
-def enable_hidden_attributes():
-    orig_config_val = config.get("enable_hidden_attributes")
-    config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = True
+def enable_add_hidden_timestamp():
+    orig_config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
+    config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = True
     yield
     if orig_config_val is not None:
-        config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = orig_config_val
+        config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = orig_config_val
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="function")
-def disable_hidden_attributes():
-    orig_config_val = config.get("enable_hidden_attributes")
-    config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = False
+def disable_add_hidden_timestamp():
+    orig_config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
+    config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = False
     yield
     if orig_config_val is not None:
-        config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = orig_config_val
+        config["add_hidden_timestamp"] = orig_config_val
 
 
 def test_schema_decorator(schema_any):
@@ -392,17 +392,15 @@ class Table_With_Underscores(dj.Manual):
         schema_any(Table_With_Underscores)
 
 
-def test_hidden_attributes_default_value():
-    config_val = config.get("enable_hidden_attributes")
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_default_value():
+    config_val = config.get("add_hidden_timestamp")
     assert (
         config_val is not None and not config_val
-    ), "Default value for enable_hidden_attributes is not False"
+    ), "Default value for add_hidden_timestamp is not False"
 
 
-def test_hidden_attributes_enabled(enable_hidden_attributes, schema_any):
-    orig_config_val = config.get("enable_hidden_attributes")
-    config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = True
-
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_enabled(enable_add_hidden_timestamp, schema_any):
+    assert config["add_hidden_timestamp"], "add_hidden_timestamp is not enabled"
     msg = f"{Experiment().heading._attributes=}"
     assert any(
         a.name.endswith("_timestamp") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
@@ -413,14 +411,9 @@ def test_hidden_attributes_enabled(enable_hidden_attributes, schema_any):
     assert any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()), msg
     assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading.attributes.values()), msg
 
-    if orig_config_val is not None:
-        config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = orig_config_val
-
-
-def test_hidden_attributes_disabled(disable_hidden_attributes, schema_any):
-    orig_config_val = config.get("enable_hidden_attributes")
-    config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = False
 
+def test_add_hidden_timestamp_disabled(disable_add_hidden_timestamp, schema_any):
+    assert not config["add_hidden_timestamp"], "expected add_hidden_timestamp to be False"
     msg = f"{Experiment().heading._attributes=}"
     assert not any(
         a.name.endswith("_timestamp") for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()
@@ -430,6 +423,3 @@ def test_hidden_attributes_disabled(disable_hidden_attributes, schema_any):
     ), msg
     assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading._attributes.values()), msg
     assert not any(a.is_hidden for a in Experiment().heading.attributes.values()), msg
-
-    if orig_config_val is not None:
-        config["enable_hidden_attributes"] = orig_config_val