diff --git a/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/.hidden-file b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/.hidden-file
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7aa86d685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/.hidden-file
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This is a hidden file. Don't even try to load it as a snippet
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/junk-file b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/junk-file
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5549cb956
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/packages/package-with-snippets/snippets/junk-file
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This file isn't CSON, but shouldn't be a big deal
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee b/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
index fd8cea73d..f03a86452 100644
--- a/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/snippets/spec/snippets-spec.coffee
@@ -207,12 +207,17 @@ describe "Snippets extension", ->
         expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRange()).toEqual [[1, 6], [1, 36]]
 
   describe "snippet loading", ->
-    it "loads snippets from all atom packages with a snippets directory", ->
+    it "loads non-hidden snippet files from all atom packages with snippets directories, logging a warning if a file can't be parsed", ->
+      spyOn(console, 'warn')
       jasmine.unspy(AtomPackage.prototype, 'loadSnippets')
       snippets.loadAll()
 
       expect(syntax.getProperty(['.test'], 'snippets.test')?.constructor).toBe Snippet
 
+      # warn about junk-file, but don't even try to parse a hidden file
+      expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(console.warn.calls.length).toBe 1
+
     it "loads snippets from all TextMate packages with snippets", ->
       jasmine.unspy(TextMatePackage.prototype, 'loadSnippets')
       snippets.loadAll()
diff --git a/src/packages/snippets/src/package-extensions.coffee b/src/packages/snippets/src/package-extensions.coffee
index 8ce001487..342d20ecd 100644
--- a/src/packages/snippets/src/package-extensions.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/snippets/src/package-extensions.coffee
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ fs = require 'fs'
 
 AtomPackage.prototype.loadSnippets = ->
   snippetsDirPath = fs.join(@path, 'snippets')
-  if fs.exists(snippetsDirPath)
-    for snippetsPath in fs.list(snippetsDirPath)
-      snippets.load(snippetsPath)
+  snippets.loadDirectory(snippetsDirPath) if fs.exists(snippetsDirPath)
 
 TextMatePackage.prototype.loadSnippets = ->
   snippetsDirPath = fs.join(@path, 'Snippets')
diff --git a/src/packages/snippets/src/snippets.coffee b/src/packages/snippets/src/snippets.coffee
index 657153a8d..769b59aef 100644
--- a/src/packages/snippets/src/snippets.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/snippets/src/snippets.coffee
@@ -19,11 +19,18 @@ module.exports =
     for pack in atom.getPackages()
       pack.loadSnippets()
 
-    for snippetsPath in fs.list(@userSnippetsDir)
-      @load(snippetsPath)
+    @loadDirectory(@userSnippetsDir) if fs.exists(@userSnippetsDir)
+
+  loadDirectory: (snippetsDirPath) ->
+    for snippetsPath in fs.list(snippetsDirPath) when fs.base(snippetsPath).indexOf('.') isnt 0
+      snippets.load(snippetsPath)
 
   load: (snippetsPath) ->
-    @add(fs.readObject(snippetsPath))
+    try
+      snippets = fs.readObject(snippetsPath)
+    catch e
+      console.warn "Error reading snippets file '#{snippetsPath}'"
+    @add(snippets)
 
   add: (snippetsBySelector) ->
     for selector, snippetsByName of snippetsBySelector