diff --git a/cmd/download_test.go b/cmd/download_test.go
index 7beb26ae1..f9aeacebe 100644
--- a/cmd/download_test.go
+++ b/cmd/download_test.go
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ func TestDownload(t *testing.T) {
 		targetDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, tc.expectedDir)
 		assertDownloadedCorrectFiles(t, targetDir)
 
-		path := filepath.Join(targetDir, "bogus-track", "bogus-exercise", ".solution.json")
-		b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+		dir := filepath.Join(targetDir, "bogus-track", "bogus-exercise")
+		b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(workspace.NewExerciseFromDir(dir).MetadataFilepath())
 		var s workspace.Solution
 		err = json.Unmarshal(b, &s)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/cmd/submit.go b/cmd/submit.go
index 29d7eb440..8e364427a 100644
--- a/cmd/submit.go
+++ b/cmd/submit.go
@@ -129,7 +129,13 @@ func runSubmit(cfg config.Config, flags *pflag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	exercise := workspace.NewExerciseFromDir(exerciseDir)
-
+	migrationStatus, err := exercise.MigrateLegacyMetadataFile()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if verbose, _ := flags.GetBool("verbose"); verbose {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, migrationStatus.String())
+	}
 	solution, err := workspace.NewSolution(exerciseDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/submit_test.go b/cmd/submit_test.go
index ca1147e32..c651a2ce3 100644
--- a/cmd/submit_test.go
+++ b/cmd/submit_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
@@ -185,6 +186,69 @@ func TestSubmitFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "This is the readme.", submittedFiles["README.md"])
 }
 
+func TestLegacySolutionMetadataMigration(t *testing.T) {
+	oldOut := Out
+	oldErr := Err
+	Out = ioutil.Discard
+	Err = ioutil.Discard
+	defer func() {
+		Out = oldOut
+		Err = oldErr
+	}()
+	// The fake endpoint will populate this when it receives the call from the command.
+	submittedFiles := map[string]string{}
+	ts := fakeSubmitServer(t, submittedFiles)
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "legacy-metadata-file")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	dir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "bogus-track", "bogus-exercise")
+	os.MkdirAll(dir, os.FileMode(0755))
+
+	solution := &workspace.Solution{
+		ID:          "bogus-solution-uuid",
+		Track:       "bogus-track",
+		Exercise:    "bogus-exercise",
+		URL:         "http://example.com/bogus-url",
+		IsRequester: true,
+	}
+	b, err := json.Marshal(solution)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	exercise := workspace.NewExerciseFromDir(dir)
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(exercise.LegacyMetadataFilepath(), b, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	file := filepath.Join(dir, "file.txt")
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(file, []byte("This is a file."), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	v := viper.New()
+	v.Set("token", "abc123")
+	v.Set("workspace", tmpDir)
+	v.Set("apibaseurl", ts.URL)
+	cfg := config.Config{
+		Persister:       config.InMemoryPersister{},
+		Dir:             tmpDir,
+		UserViperConfig: v,
+	}
+
+	ok, _ := exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+
+	err = runSubmit(cfg, pflag.NewFlagSet("fake", pflag.PanicOnError), []string{file})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "This is a file.", submittedFiles["file.txt"])
+
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+}
+
 func TestSubmitWithEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
 	oldOut := Out
 	oldErr := Err
diff --git a/fixtures/is-solution-path/broken/.solution.json b/fixtures/is-solution-path/broken/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/is-solution-path/broken/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/is-solution-path/broken/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/is-solution-path/yepp/.solution.json b/fixtures/is-solution-path/yepp/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/is-solution-path/yepp/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/is-solution-path/yepp/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solution-dir/workspace/exercise/.solution.json b/fixtures/solution-dir/workspace/exercise/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solution-dir/workspace/exercise/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solution-dir/workspace/exercise/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-2/.solution.json b/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-2/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-2/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-2/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-3/.solution.json b/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-3/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-3/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle-3/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle/.solution.json b/fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solution-path/creatures/gazelle/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solutions/alpha/.solution.json b/fixtures/solutions/alpha/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solutions/alpha/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solutions/alpha/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solutions/bravo/.solution.json b/fixtures/solutions/bravo/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solutions/bravo/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solutions/bravo/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/fixtures/solutions/charlie/.solution.json b/fixtures/solutions/charlie/.exercism/solution.json
similarity index 100%
rename from fixtures/solutions/charlie/.solution.json
rename to fixtures/solutions/charlie/.exercism/solution.json
diff --git a/visibility/hide_file.go b/visibility/hide_file.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 7fc015772..000000000
--- a/visibility/hide_file.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-// +build !windows
-
-package visibility
-
-// HideFile is a no-op for non-Windows systems.
-func HideFile(string) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-// ShowFile is a no-op for non-Windows systems.
-func ShowFile(path string) error {
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/visibility/hide_file_windows.go b/visibility/hide_file_windows.go
deleted file mode 100644
index c565e5703..000000000
--- a/visibility/hide_file_windows.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-package visibility
-
-import "syscall"
-
-// HideFile sets a Windows file's 'hidden' attribute.
-// This is the equivalent of giving a filename on
-// Linux or MacOS a leading dot (e.g. .bash_rc).
-func HideFile(path string) error {
-	return setVisibility(path, false)
-}
-
-// ShowFile unsets a Windows file's 'hidden' attribute.
-func ShowFile(path string) error {
-	return setVisibility(path, true)
-}
-
-func setVisibility(path string, visible bool) error {
-	// This is based on the discussion in
-	// https://www.reddit.com/r/golang/comments/5t3ezd/hidden_files_directories/
-	// but instead of duplicating all the effort to write the file, this takes
-	// the path of a written file and then flips the bit on the relevant attribute.
-	// The attributes are a bitmask (uint32), so we can't call
-	// SetFileAttributes(ptr, syscall.File_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN) as suggested, since
-	// that would wipe out any existing attributes.
-	ptr, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	attributes, err := syscall.GetFileAttributes(ptr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if visible {
-		attributes &^= syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN
-	} else {
-		attributes |= syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN
-	}
-
-	return syscall.SetFileAttributes(ptr, attributes)
-}
diff --git a/workspace/exercise.go b/workspace/exercise.go
index 9c3815e66..34dc31596 100644
--- a/workspace/exercise.go
+++ b/workspace/exercise.go
@@ -37,7 +37,12 @@ func (e Exercise) Filepath() string {
 
 // MetadataFilepath is the absolute path to the exercise metadata.
 func (e Exercise) MetadataFilepath() string {
-	return filepath.Join(e.Filepath(), solutionFilename)
+	return filepath.Join(e.Filepath(), metadataFilepath)
+}
+
+// LegacyMetadataFilepath is the absolute path to the legacy exercise metadata.
+func (e Exercise) LegacyMetadataFilepath() string {
+	return filepath.Join(e.Filepath(), legacySolutionFilename)
 }
 
 // MetadataDir returns the directory that the exercise metadata lives in.
@@ -59,3 +64,59 @@ func (e Exercise) HasMetadata() (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return false, err
 }
+
+// HasLegacyMetadata checks for the presence of a legacy exercise metadata file.
+// If there is no such file, it could also be an unrelated directory.
+func (e Exercise) HasLegacyMetadata() (bool, error) {
+	_, err := os.Lstat(e.LegacyMetadataFilepath())
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	return false, err
+}
+
+// MigrationStatus represents the result of migrating a legacy metadata file.
+type MigrationStatus int
+
+// MigrationStatus
+const (
+	MigrationStatusNoop MigrationStatus = iota
+	MigrationStatusMigrated
+	MigrationStatusRemoved
+)
+
+func (m MigrationStatus) String() string {
+	switch m {
+	case MigrationStatusMigrated:
+		return "\nMigrated metadata\n"
+	case MigrationStatusRemoved:
+		return "\nRemoved legacy metadata\n"
+	default:
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
+// MigrateLegacyMetadataFile migrates a legacy metadata file to the modern location.
+// This is a noop if the metadata file isn't legacy.
+// If both legacy and modern metadata files exist, the legacy file will be deleted.
+func (e Exercise) MigrateLegacyMetadataFile() (MigrationStatus, error) {
+	if ok, _ := e.HasLegacyMetadata(); !ok {
+		return MigrationStatusNoop, nil
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(e.MetadataFilepath()), os.FileMode(0755)); err != nil {
+		return MigrationStatusNoop, err
+	}
+	if ok, _ := e.HasMetadata(); !ok {
+		if err := os.Rename(e.LegacyMetadataFilepath(), e.MetadataFilepath()); err != nil {
+			return MigrationStatusNoop, err
+		}
+		return MigrationStatusMigrated, nil
+	}
+	if err := os.Remove(e.LegacyMetadataFilepath()); err != nil {
+		return MigrationStatusNoop, err
+	}
+	return MigrationStatusRemoved, nil
+}
diff --git a/workspace/exercise_test.go b/workspace/exercise_test.go
index c3d54a5d7..0a6d1d8fa 100644
--- a/workspace/exercise_test.go
+++ b/workspace/exercise_test.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ func TestHasMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 	exerciseA := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "apple"}
 	exerciseB := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "banana"}
 
-	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(exerciseA.Filepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exerciseA.MetadataFilepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(exerciseB.Filepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exerciseB.MetadataFilepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	err = ioutil.WriteFile(exerciseA.MetadataFilepath(), []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
@@ -34,6 +34,31 @@ func TestHasMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, ok)
 }
 
+func TestHasLegacyMetadata(t *testing.T) {
+	ws, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "fake-workspace")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(ws)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	exerciseA := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "apple"}
+	exerciseB := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "banana"}
+
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exerciseA.LegacyMetadataFilepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(exerciseB.LegacyMetadataFilepath()), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(exerciseA.LegacyMetadataFilepath(), []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, err := exerciseA.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+
+	ok, err = exerciseB.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+}
+
 func TestNewFromDir(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := filepath.Join("something", "another", "whatever", "the-track", "the-exercise")
 
@@ -42,3 +67,99 @@ func TestNewFromDir(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "the-track", exercise.Track)
 	assert.Equal(t, "the-exercise", exercise.Slug)
 }
+
+func TestMigrationStatusString(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "\nMigrated metadata\n", MigrationStatusMigrated.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "\nRemoved legacy metadata\n", MigrationStatusRemoved.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "", MigrationStatusNoop.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "", MigrationStatus(-1).String())
+}
+
+func TestMigrateLegacyMetadataFileWithoutLegacy(t *testing.T) {
+	ws, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "fake-workspace")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(ws)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	exercise := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "no-legacy"}
+	metadataFilepath := exercise.MetadataFilepath()
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(metadataFilepath), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(metadataFilepath, []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ := exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+
+	status, err := exercise.MigrateLegacyMetadataFile()
+	assert.Equal(t, MigrationStatusNoop, status)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+}
+
+func TestMigrateLegacyMetadataFileWithLegacy(t *testing.T) {
+	ws, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "fake-workspace")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(ws)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	exercise := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "legacy"}
+	legacyMetadataFilepath := exercise.LegacyMetadataFilepath()
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(legacyMetadataFilepath), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(legacyMetadataFilepath, []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ := exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+
+	status, err := exercise.MigrateLegacyMetadataFile()
+	assert.Equal(t, MigrationStatusMigrated, status)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+}
+
+func TestMigrateLegacyMetadataFileWithLegacyAndModern(t *testing.T) {
+	ws, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "fake-workspace")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(ws)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	exercise := Exercise{Root: ws, Track: "bogus-track", Slug: "both-legacy-and-modern"}
+	metadataFilepath := exercise.MetadataFilepath()
+	legacyMetadataFilepath := exercise.LegacyMetadataFilepath()
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(legacyMetadataFilepath), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(metadataFilepath), os.FileMode(0755))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(legacyMetadataFilepath, []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(metadataFilepath, []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ := exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+
+	status, err := exercise.MigrateLegacyMetadataFile()
+	assert.Equal(t, MigrationStatusRemoved, status)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasLegacyMetadata()
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+	ok, _ = exercise.HasMetadata()
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+}
diff --git a/workspace/solution.go b/workspace/solution.go
index 518f819f3..a5722d6c9 100644
--- a/workspace/solution.go
+++ b/workspace/solution.go
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
-
-	"github.com/exercism/cli/visibility"
 )
 
-const solutionFilename = ".solution.json"
+const solutionFilename = "solution.json"
+const legacySolutionFilename = ".solution.json"
+const ignoreSubdir = ".exercism"
+
+var metadataFilepath = filepath.Join(ignoreSubdir, solutionFilename)
 
 // Solution contains metadata about a user's solution.
 type Solution struct {
@@ -30,8 +32,7 @@ type Solution struct {
 
 // NewSolution reads solution metadata from a file in the given directory.
 func NewSolution(dir string) (*Solution, error) {
-	path := filepath.Join(dir, solutionFilename)
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, metadataFilepath))
 	if err != nil {
 		return &Solution{}, err
 	}
@@ -67,17 +68,15 @@ func (s *Solution) Write(dir string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	path := filepath.Join(dir, solutionFilename)
-
-	// Hack because ioutil.WriteFile fails on hidden files
-	visibility.ShowFile(path)
-
-	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(path, b, os.FileMode(0600)); err != nil {
+	metadataAbsoluteFilepath := filepath.Join(dir, metadataFilepath)
+	if err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(metadataAbsoluteFilepath), os.FileMode(0755)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err = ioutil.WriteFile(metadataAbsoluteFilepath, b, os.FileMode(0600)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	s.Dir = dir
-	return visibility.HideFile(path)
+	return nil
 }
 
 // PathToParent is the relative path from the workspace to the parent dir.
diff --git a/workspace/workspace.go b/workspace/workspace.go
index 843953013..78c20b65b 100644
--- a/workspace/workspace.go
+++ b/workspace/workspace.go
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ func (ws Workspace) SolutionDir(s string) (string, error) {
 		if _, err := os.Lstat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		if _, err := os.Lstat(filepath.Join(path, solutionFilename)); err == nil {
+		if _, err := os.Lstat(filepath.Join(path, metadataFilepath)); err == nil {
+			return path, nil
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Lstat(filepath.Join(path, legacySolutionFilename)); err == nil {
 			return path, nil
 		}
 		path = filepath.Dir(path)
diff --git a/workspace/workspace_test.go b/workspace/workspace_test.go
index b48f3cf35..322f04ebb 100644
--- a/workspace/workspace_test.go
+++ b/workspace/workspace_test.go
@@ -60,11 +60,12 @@ func TestWorkspaceExercises(t *testing.T) {
 	b2 := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "track-b", "exercise-two")
 
 	for _, path := range []string{a1, a2, b1, b2} {
-		err := os.MkdirAll(path, os.FileMode(0755))
+		metadataAbsoluteFilepath := filepath.Join(path, metadataFilepath)
+		err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(metadataAbsoluteFilepath), os.FileMode(0755))
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 		if path != a2 {
-			err = ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(path, solutionFilename), []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
+			err = ioutil.WriteFile(metadataAbsoluteFilepath, []byte{}, os.FileMode(0600))
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 		}
 	}