diff --git a/src/Gui/Tree.cpp b/src/Gui/Tree.cpp
index 41bdcdebc0..6cd159c04d 100644
--- a/src/Gui/Tree.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/Tree.cpp
@@ -400,7 +400,6 @@ TreeWidget::TreeWidget(const char* name, QWidget* parent)
     this->setAcceptDrops(true);
     this->setDropIndicatorShown(false);
     this->setDragDropMode(QTreeWidget::InternalMove);
-    this->setRootIsDecorated(false);
     this->setColumnCount(2);
     this->setItemDelegate(new TreeWidgetEditDelegate(this));
 
@@ -487,8 +486,7 @@ TreeWidget::TreeWidget(const char* name, QWidget* parent)
     });
 
     // Add the first main label
-    this->rootItem = new QTreeWidgetItem(this);
-    this->rootItem->setFlags(Qt::ItemIsEnabled);
+    this->rootItem = invisibleRootItem();
     this->expandItem(this->rootItem);
     this->setSelectionMode(QAbstractItemView::ExtendedSelection);
 
@@ -522,6 +520,7 @@ TreeWidget::TreeWidget(const char* name, QWidget* parent)
         documentPartialPixmap.reset(new QPixmap(icon.pixmap(documentPixmap->size(), QIcon::Disabled)));
     }
     setColumnHidden(1, TreeParams::getHideColumn());
+    header()->setVisible(!TreeParams::getHideColumn());
 }
 
 TreeWidget::~TreeWidget()
@@ -902,6 +901,27 @@ void TreeWidget::contextMenuEvent(QContextMenuEvent* e)
         subMenu.addActions(subMenuGroup.actions());
     }
 
+    // add a submenu to present the settings of the tree.
+    QMenu settingsMenu;
+    settingsMenu.setTitle(tr("Tree settings"));
+    contextMenu.addSeparator();
+    contextMenu.addMenu(&settingsMenu);
+
+    QAction* action = new QAction(tr("Show description column"), this);
+    action->setStatusTip(tr("Show an extra tree view column for item description. The item's description can be set by pressing F2 (or your OS's edit button) or by editing the 'label2' property."));
+    action->setCheckable(true);
+
+    ParameterGrp::handle hGrp = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/TreeView");
+    action->setChecked(!hGrp->GetBool("HideColumn", true));
+
+    settingsMenu.addAction(action);
+    QObject::connect(action, &QAction::triggered, this, [this, action, hGrp]() {
+        bool show = action->isChecked();
+        hGrp->SetBool("HideColumn", !show);
+        setColumnHidden(1, !show);
+        header()->setVisible(show);
+    });
+
     if (contextMenu.actions().count() > 0) {
         try {
             contextMenu.exec(QCursor::pos());
@@ -2769,7 +2789,6 @@ void TreeWidget::setupText()
 {
     this->headerItem()->setText(0, tr("Labels & Attributes"));
     this->headerItem()->setText(1, tr("Description"));
-    this->rootItem->setText(0, tr("Application"));
 
     this->showHiddenAction->setText(tr("Show items hidden in tree view"));
     this->showHiddenAction->setStatusTip(tr("Show items that are marked as 'hidden' in the tree view"));
diff --git a/src/Gui/TreeParams.cpp b/src/Gui/TreeParams.cpp
index a2db6299c2..2b068655b1 100644
--- a/src/Gui/TreeParams.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/TreeParams.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public:
         funcs["ItemBackground"] = &TreeParamsP::updateItemBackground;
         ItemBackgroundPadding = handle->GetInt("ItemBackgroundPadding", 10);
         funcs["ItemBackgroundPadding"] = &TreeParamsP::updateItemBackgroundPadding;
-        HideColumn = handle->GetBool("HideColumn", false);
+        HideColumn = handle->GetBool("HideColumn", true);
         funcs["HideColumn"] = &TreeParamsP::updateHideColumn;
         HideScrollBar = handle->GetBool("HideScrollBar", true);
         funcs["HideScrollBar"] = &TreeParamsP::updateHideScrollBar;
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public:
     }
     // Auto generated code (Tools/params_utils.py:244)
     static void updateHideColumn(TreeParamsP *self) {
-        auto v = self->handle->GetBool("HideColumn", false);
+        auto v = self->handle->GetBool("HideColumn", true);
         if (self->HideColumn != v) {
             self->HideColumn = v;
             TreeParams::onHideColumnChanged();
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ const bool & TreeParams::getHideColumn() {
 
 // Auto generated code (Tools/params_utils.py:300)
 const bool & TreeParams::defaultHideColumn() {
-    const static bool def = false;
+    const static bool def = true;
     return def;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Gui/TreeParams.py b/src/Gui/TreeParams.py
index e7163f573f..64490d3ceb 100644
--- a/src/Gui/TreeParams.py
+++ b/src/Gui/TreeParams.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ Params = [
         doc = "Tree view item background. Only effecitve in overlay."),
     ParamInt('ItemBackgroundPadding', 10, on_change=True, title="Item background padding", proxy=ParamSpinBox(0, 100, 1),
         doc = "Tree view item background padding."),
-    ParamBool('HideColumn', False, on_change=True, title="Hide extra column",
+    ParamBool('HideColumn', True, on_change=True, title="Hide extra column",
         doc = "Hide extra tree view column for item description."),
     ParamBool('HideScrollBar', True, title="Hide scroll bar",
         doc = "Hide tree view scroll bar in dock overlay."),