diff --git a/autoload/tagbar.vim b/autoload/tagbar.vim
index 69e3a11..7edc25d 100644
--- a/autoload/tagbar.vim
+++ b/autoload/tagbar.vim
@@ -1208,10 +1208,12 @@ function! s:BaseTag._getPrefix() abort dict
         let prefix = ' '
     endif
     " Visibility is called 'access' in the ctags output
-    if has_key(self.fields, 'access')
-        let prefix .= get(s:visibility_symbols, self.fields.access, ' ')
-    else
-        let prefix .= ' '
+    if g:tagbar_show_visibility
+        if has_key(self.fields, 'access')
+            let prefix .= get(s:visibility_symbols, self.fields.access, ' ')
+        else
+            let prefix .= ' '
+        endif
     endif
 
     return prefix
@@ -2514,7 +2516,10 @@ function! s:PrintKinds(typeinfo, fileinfo) abort
                             " only if they are not scope-defining tags (since
                             " those already have an identifier)
                             if !has_key(a:typeinfo.kind2scope, ckind.short)
-                                silent put =repeat(' ', g:tagbar_indent + 2) .
+                                let indent  = g:tagbar_indent
+                                let indent += g:tagbar_show_visibility
+                                let indent += 1 " fold symbol
+                                silent put =repeat(' ', indent) .
                                                  \ '[' . ckind.long . ']'
                                 " Add basic tag to allow folding when on the
                                 " header line
@@ -2547,10 +2552,11 @@ function! s:PrintKinds(typeinfo, fileinfo) abort
                 let foldmarker = s:icon_open
             endif
 
+            let padding = g:tagbar_show_visibility ? ' ' : ''
             if g:tagbar_compact && first_tag && s:short_help
-                silent 0put =foldmarker . ' ' . kind.long
+                silent 0put =foldmarker . padding . kind.long
             else
-                silent  put =foldmarker . ' ' . kind.long
+                silent  put =foldmarker . padding . kind.long
             endif
 
             let curline                   = line('.')
@@ -2601,7 +2607,10 @@ function! s:PrintTag(tag, depth, fileinfo, typeinfo) abort
                 " are not scope-defining tags (since those already have an
                 " identifier)
                 if !has_key(a:typeinfo.kind2scope, ckind.short)
-                    silent put =repeat(' ', (a:depth + 1) * g:tagbar_indent + 2)
+                    let indent  = g:tagbar_indent
+                    let indent += g:tagbar_show_visibility
+                    let indent += 1 " fold symbol
+                    silent put =repeat(' ', (a:depth + 1) * indent)
                               \ . '[' . ckind.long . ']'
                     " Add basic tag to allow folding when on the header line
                     let headertag = s:BaseTag.New(ckind.long)
diff --git a/doc/tagbar.txt b/doc/tagbar.txt
index a63dbd2..2ed4f60 100644
--- a/doc/tagbar.txt
+++ b/doc/tagbar.txt
@@ -431,6 +431,18 @@ Example:
         let g:tagbar_indent = 1
 <
 
+                                                    *g:tagbar_show_visibility*
+g:tagbar_show_visibility~
+Default: 1
+
+Show the visibility symbols (public/protected/private) to the left of the tag
+name.
+
+Example:
+>
+        let g:tagbar_show_visibility = 0
+<
+
                                                              *g:tagbar_expand*
 g:tagbar_expand~
 Default: 0
diff --git a/plugin/tagbar.vim b/plugin/tagbar.vim
index cdb4cac..a594cb4 100644
--- a/plugin/tagbar.vim
+++ b/plugin/tagbar.vim
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ if !exists('g:tagbar_indent')
     let g:tagbar_indent = 2
 endif
 
+if !exists('g:tagbar_show_visibility')
+    let g:tagbar_show_visibility = 1
+endif
+
 if !exists('g:tagbar_expand')
     let g:tagbar_expand = 0
 endif
diff --git a/syntax/tagbar.vim b/syntax/tagbar.vim
index dac8f50..5c7fd20 100644
--- a/syntax/tagbar.vim
+++ b/syntax/tagbar.vim
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ if s:io =~ '[]^\\-]'
     let s:io = '\' . s:io
 endif
 
-let s:pattern = '\([' . s:ic . s:io . '] \)\@<=[^-+: ]\+[^:]\+$'
+let s:pattern = '\([' . s:ic . s:io . '] \?\)\@<=[^-+: ]\+[^:]\+$'
 execute "syntax match TagbarKind '" . s:pattern . "'"
 
-let s:pattern = '\([' . s:ic . s:io . '][-+# ]\)\@<=[^*]\+\(\*\?\(([^)]\+)\)\? :\)\@='
+let s:pattern = '\([' . s:ic . s:io . '][-+# ]\?\)\@<=[^*]\+\(\*\?\(([^)]\+)\)\? :\)\@='
 execute "syntax match TagbarScope '" . s:pattern . "'"
 
-let s:pattern = '[' . s:ic . s:io . ']\([-+# ]\)\@='
+let s:pattern = '[' . s:ic . s:io . ']\([-+# ]\?\)\@='
 execute "syntax match TagbarFoldIcon '" . s:pattern . "'"
 
 let s:pattern = '\([' . s:ic . s:io . ' ]\)\@<=+\([^-+# ]\)\@='