diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
index c71804e9b..bf1c968c2 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
@@ -216,12 +216,16 @@ func (rf *rootFile) parse_WithNode(n *parse.WithNode) (node, error) {
 		// Increment first because we are numbering from 1
 		rf.stepNumber++
 		return rf.parse_stepNode(n, rf.stepNumber)
-	case fnUpload:
+	case fnUpload, fnHiddenUpload:
+		hidden := fn.Ident == fnHiddenUpload
 		t, err := rf.parse_txtarNode(n, fn.Ident, c.Args[1:])
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		return &uploadNode{txtarNode: t}, nil
+		return &uploadNode{
+			txtarNode: t,
+			hidden:    hidden,
+		}, nil
 	case fnScript, fnHiddenScript:
 		hidden := fn.Ident == fnHiddenScript
 		t, err := rf.parse_txtarNode(n, fn.Ident, c.Args[1:])
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
index 1b885856a..36a69f5ad 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ var (
 		fnCode:         true,
 		fnStep:         true,
 		fnUpload:       true,
+		fnHiddenUpload: true,
 		fnScript:       true,
 		fnHiddenScript: true,
 		"reference":    true,
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_multistagescript.txtar b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_multistagescript.txtar
index 6db40fade..4882b353a 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_multistagescript.txtar
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_multistagescript.txtar
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ content: dir: page: {
 >title: JSON Superset
 >---
 >{{{with step}}}
+>
+>{{{with _upload "en" "hidden file"}}}
+>-- hidden.txt --
+>Secret message
+>{{{end}}}
+>
 >{{{with upload "en" "upload-some-cue"}}}
 >#codetab(in.cue) linenos="table"
 >-- in.cue --
@@ -121,6 +127,12 @@ content: dir: page: {
 >title: JSON Superset
 >---
 >{{{with step}}}
+>
+>{{{with _upload "en" "hidden file"}}}
+>-- hidden.txt --
+>Secret message
+>{{{end}}}
+>
 >{{{with upload "en" "upload-some-cue"}}}
 >#codetab(in.cue) linenos="table"
 >-- in.cue --
@@ -233,12 +245,13 @@ package site
 			page: {
 				cache: {
 					upload: {
+						"hidden file":      "4YPap9a6NsyJd6KTPyStBOl3FcJsYecsnKRpcixFfrY="
 						"upload-some-cue":  "mk/eGLXQi8f2VHFEAJ+OVwSB0C/zK9S8nvtSvKYNyVo="
 						"upload-some-json": "aOFY1SpvCxmIPWnBoZDfTCvL90OvzbTTD3gqObCa75w="
 						"in-subdir":        "zLF5NHI4Y1eaRJ7n4t6bN//ptgOj2snRyP3DNUSUZrw="
 					}
 					multi_step: {
-						"L4H91P78HIDIAEMM7U0CA93FTU24VD5B7K7E0BRUPJPUM8AV9RV0====": [{
+						"3UA3H59NARBLHE6A3D5HAM0BD8RJH3L54NR16HOO9JUDU58IM1HG====": [{
 							doc: """
 									# script doc comment
 									#scripttag
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/upload_node.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/upload_node.go
index ffc508d08..87e5de7aa 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/upload_node.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/upload_node.go
@@ -18,10 +18,17 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 )
 
-const fnUpload = "upload"
+const (
+	fnUpload       = "upload"
+	fnHiddenUpload = "_upload"
+)
 
 type uploadNode struct {
 	txtarNode
+
+	// hidden is set to indicate the script exists for side effects
+	// only and will not be rendered
+	hidden bool
 }
 
 var _ validatingNode = (*uploadNode)(nil)
@@ -30,6 +37,10 @@ func (u *uploadNode) nodeType() string {
 	return "upload"
 }
 
+func (u *uploadNode) isHidden() bool {
+	return u.hidden
+}
+
 func (u *uploadNode) validate() {
 	if l := len(u.analysis.fileNames); l != 1 {
 		u.errorf("%v: upload nodes can only contain a single file; saw %d", u, l)