diff --git a/potassco/aspif_text.h b/potassco/aspif_text.h
index e19844a..25437a3 100644
--- a/potassco/aspif_text.h
+++ b/potassco/aspif_text.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class AspifTextOutput : public Potassco::AbstractProgram {
 
 private:
 	std::ostream& printName(std::ostream& os, Lit_t lit);
+	std::ostream& printHide(std::ostream& os);
 	void writeDirectives();
 	void visitTheories();
 	bool assignAtomName(Atom_t id, const std::string& name);
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ class AspifTextOutput : public Potassco::AbstractProgram {
 	TheoryData theory_;
 	Data*      data_;
 	int        step_;
-	int        showAtoms_;
+	bool       showAtoms_;
 	Atom_t     startAtom_;
 	Atom_t     maxAtom_;
 };
diff --git a/src/aspif_text.cpp b/src/aspif_text.cpp
index d75b44d..c0c0f82 100644
--- a/src/aspif_text.cpp
+++ b/src/aspif_text.cpp
@@ -403,16 +403,25 @@ std::ostream& AspifTextOutput::printName(std::ostream& os, Lit_t lit) {
 	}
 	else {
 		os << "x_" << id;
-		if (showAtoms_ == 0) {
-			showAtoms_ = 1;
+		if (!showAtoms_) {
+			showAtoms_ = true;
+			if (data_->atoms.empty()) { data_->atoms.push_back(0); }
+			data_->setGenName(0);
 		}
 	}
 	maxAtom_ = std::max(maxAtom_, id);
 	return os;
 }
+std::ostream& AspifTextOutput::printHide(std::ostream& os) {
+	if (data_->genName && data_->atoms[0] == data_->genName) {
+		data_->atoms[0] = 0;
+		os << "#show.\n";
+	}
+	return os;
+}
 void AspifTextOutput::initProgram(bool incremental) {
 	step_      = incremental ? 0 : -1;
-	showAtoms_ = 0;
+	showAtoms_ = false;
 	startAtom_ = 0;
 	maxAtom_   = 0;
 	data_->reset();
@@ -422,6 +431,7 @@ void AspifTextOutput::beginStep() {
 		if (step_) { os_ << "% #program step(" << step_ << ").\n"; theory_.update(); }
 		else       { os_ << "% #program base.\n"; }
 		++step_;
+		startAtom_ = data_->atoms.size();
 	}
 }
 void AspifTextOutput::rule(Head_t ht, const AtomSpan& head, const LitSpan& body) {
@@ -577,6 +587,7 @@ void AspifTextOutput::writeDirectives() {
 				for (uint32_t n = get<uint32_t>(); n--; sep = ", ") { printName(os_ << sep, get<Lit_t>()); }
 				break;
 			case Directive_t::Output:
+				printHide(os_);
 				sep = " : "; term = ".";
 				os_ << "#show " << data_->out[get<uint32_t>()]->first;
 				for (uint32_t n = get<uint32_t>(); n--; sep = ", ") {
@@ -618,10 +629,7 @@ void AspifTextOutput::writeDirectives() {
 		os_ << term << "\n";
 	}
 	if (showAtoms_) {
-		if (showAtoms_ == 1) {
-			os_ << "#show.\n";
-			showAtoms_ = 2;
-		}
+		printHide(os_);
 		for (Atom_t a = startAtom_; a < data_->atoms.size(); ++a) {
 			if (const std::string* n = data_->getAtomName(a)) {
 				if (*n->c_str() != '&') {
@@ -629,7 +637,6 @@ void AspifTextOutput::writeDirectives() {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		startAtom_ = data_->atoms.size();
 	}
 	os_ << std::flush;
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_text.cpp b/tests/test_text.cpp
index a6c403c..508c085 100644
--- a/tests/test_text.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_text.cpp
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 		out.output(toSpan("-a"), toSpan(&cond1, 1));
 		out.output(toSpan("x_1"), toSpan(&cond2, 1));
 		out.endStep();
-		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{-a;x_2}.\n#show x_1 : x_2.\n#show.\n#show -a : -a.\n");
+		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{-a;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show x_1 : x_2.\n#show -a : -a.\n");
 	}
 	SECTION("basic rule") {
 		input << "x1 :- x2, not x3, x4.\n#output foo : x1.\n#output bar : x3.";
@@ -288,13 +288,13 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 	SECTION("output statements") {
 		input << "{x1;x2}.\n#output foo.\n#output bar : x1.\n#output \"Hello World\" : x2, not x1.";
 		read(prg, input);
-		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{bar;x_2}.\n#show foo.\n#show \"Hello World\" : x_2, not bar.\n#show.\n"
+		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{bar;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show foo.\n#show \"Hello World\" : x_2, not bar.\n"
 		                        "#show bar : bar.\n");
 	}
 	SECTION("duplicate output condition") {
 		input << "{a}.\n#output x:a.\n#output y:a.\n";
 		read(prg, input);
-		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show x : x_1.\n#show y : x_1.\n#show.\n");
+		REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show.\n#show x : x_1.\n#show y : x_1.\n");
 	}
 	SECTION("bogus duplicate output condition") {
 		input << "{a}.\n#output x:a.\n#output x:a.\n";
@@ -306,27 +306,27 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 		SECTION("simple") {
 			input << "#output a:x1.\n#output a:x2.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("complex") {
 			input << "#output a:x1.\n#output a:x1,x2.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show a : a, x_2.\n#show.\n#show a : a.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : a, x_2.\n#show a : a.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("complex reversed") {
 			input << "#output a:x1,x2.\n#output a:x1.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show a : a, x_2.\n#show.\n#show a : a.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : a, x_2.\n#show a : a.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("duplicate condition first") {
 			input << "#output a:x1.\n#output b:x1.\n#output a:x2.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("duplicate condition all") {
 			input << "#output a:x1.\n#output b:x1.\n#output a:x2.\n#output f:x2.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show f : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show f : x_2.\n");
 		}
 	}
 	SECTION("implicit show") {
@@ -348,17 +348,17 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 		SECTION("duplicate one") {
 			input << "#output a:b.\n#output b:b.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show b : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show b : x_2.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("duplicate two") {
 			input << "#output b:b.\n#output a:b.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show b : x_2.\n#show a : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show b : x_2.\n#show a : x_2.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("duplicate three") {
 			input << "#output a:a.\n#output b:b.\n#output c:b.\n";
 			read(prg, input);
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show b : x_2.\n#show c : x_2.\n#show.\n#show a : a.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{a;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show b : x_2.\n#show c : x_2.\n#show a : a.\n");
 		}
 	}
 	SECTION("output reserved name") {
@@ -367,24 +367,24 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 			SECTION("match") {
 				input << "#output x_2:b.\n#output x_1:a.";
 				read(prg, input);
-				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show x_2 : x_2.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n#show.\n");
+				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show x_2 : x_2.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n");
 			}
 			SECTION("mismatch") {
 				input << "#output x_2:a.\n#output x_1:b.";
 				read(prg, input);
-				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show x_2 : x_1.\n#show x_1 : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show x_2 : x_1.\n#show x_1 : x_2.\n");
 			}
 		}
 		SECTION("some") {
 			SECTION("match") {
 				input << "#output x_2:b.";
 				read(prg, input);
-				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show x_2 : x_2.\n#show.\n");
+				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show x_2 : x_2.\n");
 			}
 			SECTION("mismatch") {
 				input << "#output x_2:a.";
 				read(prg, input);
-				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show x_2 : x_1.\n#show.\n");
+				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n#show.\n#show x_2 : x_1.\n");
 			}
 		}
 		SECTION("incremental handled as some") {
@@ -398,9 +398,9 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 		out.endStep();
 		REQUIRE(output.str() == "% #program base.\n"
 		                        "{x_1;x_2}.\n"
+		                        "#show.\n"
 		                        "#show x_3 : x_1.\n"
-		                        "#show x_2 : x_2.\n"
-		                        "#show.\n");
+		                        "#show x_2 : x_2.\n");
 		output.str("");
 		out.beginStep();
 		out.rule(Head_t::Choice, toSpan(head = {3}), toSpan(cond = {1, 2})); // {3} :- 1, 2.
@@ -419,12 +419,12 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer ", "[text]") {
 		out.output(toSpan("a"), toSpan(&al, 1));   // #show a : x_1.
 		SECTION("unique alternative") {
 			out.endStep();
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n#show a : x_1.\n");
 		}
 		SECTION("two alternatives") {
 			out.output(toSpan("b"), toSpan(&al, 1)); // #show b : x_1.
 			out.endStep();
-			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n#show.\n");
+			REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1}.\n#show.\n#show x_1 : x_1.\n#show a : x_1.\n#show b : x_1.\n");
 		}
 	}
 	SECTION("write external - ") {
@@ -632,16 +632,15 @@ TEST_CASE("Text writer writes theory", "[text]") {
 				// Ensure that we don't use "foo" for x_3.
 				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n"
 				                        "x_4 :- &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n"
-				                        "#show foo : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n#show.\n");
+				                        "#show.\n#show foo : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n");
 			}
 			SECTION("twice") {
 				out.output(Potassco::toSpan("bar"), Potassco::toSpan((body = {3})));
 				out.endStep();
 				REQUIRE(output.str() == "{x_1;x_2}.\n"
 				                        "x_4 :- &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n"
-				                        "#show foo : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n"
-				                        "#show bar : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n"
-				                        "#show.\n");
+				                        "#show.\n#show foo : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n"
+				                        "#show bar : &atom{elem : x_1, not x_2; p : x_1}.\n");
 			}
 		}
 	}