diff --git a/cli/src/commands/upload.ts b/cli/src/commands/upload.ts
index 58c5785583..b0f192dca2 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/upload.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/upload.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export default class Upload extends BaseCommand {
     crawlOptions.pathsToCrawl = paths;
     crawlOptions.recursive = options.recursive;
     crawlOptions.exclusionPatterns = options.exclusionPatterns;
+    crawlOptions.includeHidden = options.includeHidden;
 
     const files: string[] = [];
 
diff --git a/cli/src/cores/dto/upload-options-dto.ts b/cli/src/cores/dto/upload-options-dto.ts
index 77bd7cd493..8b5fbdc4a7 100644
--- a/cli/src/cores/dto/upload-options-dto.ts
+++ b/cli/src/cores/dto/upload-options-dto.ts
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ export class UploadOptionsDto {
   skipHash? = false;
   delete? = false;
   album? = false;
+  includeHidden? = false;
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/index.ts b/cli/src/index.ts
index 8f538ead8b..3e5b74c47d 100644
--- a/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ program
   .addOption(new Option('-r, --recursive', 'Recursive').env('IMMICH_RECURSIVE').default(false))
   .addOption(new Option('-i, --ignore [paths...]', 'Paths to ignore').env('IMMICH_IGNORE_PATHS'))
   .addOption(new Option('-h, --skip-hash', "Don't hash files before upload").env('IMMICH_SKIP_HASH').default(false))
+  .addOption(new Option('-i, --include-hidden', 'Include hidden folders').env('IMMICH_INCLUDE_HIDDEN').default(false))
   .addOption(
     new Option('-a, --album', 'Automatically create albums based on folder name')
       .env('IMMICH_AUTO_CREATE_ALBUM')
diff --git a/cli/src/services/crawl.service.spec.ts b/cli/src/services/crawl.service.spec.ts
index 3957f193a8..4a30669d69 100644
--- a/cli/src/services/crawl.service.spec.ts
+++ b/cli/src/services/crawl.service.spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const tests: Test[] = [
     files: {},
   },
   {
-    test: 'should crawl a single path',
+    test: 'should crawl a single folder',
     options: {
       pathsToCrawl: ['/photos/'],
     },
@@ -27,6 +27,25 @@ const tests: Test[] = [
       '/photos/image.jpg': true,
     },
   },
+  {
+    test: 'should crawl a single file',
+    options: {
+      pathsToCrawl: ['/photos/image.jpg'],
+    },
+    files: {
+      '/photos/image.jpg': true,
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    test: 'should crawl a single file and a folder',
+    options: {
+      pathsToCrawl: ['/photos/image.jpg', '/images/'],
+    },
+    files: {
+      '/photos/image.jpg': true,
+      '/images/image2.jpg': true,
+    },
+  },
   {
     test: 'should exclude by file extension',
     options: {
@@ -54,6 +73,7 @@ const tests: Test[] = [
     options: {
       pathsToCrawl: ['/photos/'],
       exclusionPatterns: ['**/raw/**'],
+      recursive: true,
     },
     files: {
       '/photos/image.jpg': true,
@@ -98,6 +118,7 @@ const tests: Test[] = [
     test: 'should crawl a single path',
     options: {
       pathsToCrawl: ['/photos/'],
+      recursive: true,
     },
     files: {
       '/photos/image.jpg': true,
diff --git a/cli/src/services/crawl.service.ts b/cli/src/services/crawl.service.ts
index 28d7fb9126..ff0f5e3dfc 100644
--- a/cli/src/services/crawl.service.ts
+++ b/cli/src/services/crawl.service.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { CrawlOptionsDto } from 'src/cores/dto/crawl-options-dto';
 import { glob } from 'glob';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 
 export class CrawlService {
   private readonly extensions!: string[];
@@ -8,21 +9,57 @@ export class CrawlService {
     this.extensions = image.concat(video).map((extension) => extension.replace('.', ''));
   }
 
-  crawl(crawlOptions: CrawlOptionsDto): Promise<string[]> {
+  async crawl(crawlOptions: CrawlOptionsDto): Promise<string[]> {
     const { pathsToCrawl, exclusionPatterns, includeHidden } = crawlOptions;
     if (!pathsToCrawl) {
       return Promise.resolve([]);
     }
 
-    const base = pathsToCrawl.length === 1 ? pathsToCrawl[0] : `{${pathsToCrawl.join(',')}}`;
-    const extensions = `*{${this.extensions}}`;
+    const patterns: string[] = [];
+    const crawledFiles: string[] = [];
 
-    return glob(`${base}/**/${extensions}`, {
+    for await (const currentPath of pathsToCrawl) {
+      try {
+        const stats = await fs.promises.stat(currentPath);
+        if (stats.isFile() || stats.isSymbolicLink()) {
+          crawledFiles.push(currentPath);
+        } else {
+          patterns.push(currentPath);
+        }
+      } catch (error: any) {
+        if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
+          patterns.push(currentPath);
+        } else {
+          throw error;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    let searchPattern: string;
+    if (patterns.length === 1) {
+      searchPattern = patterns[0];
+    } else if (patterns.length === 0) {
+      return crawledFiles;
+    } else {
+      searchPattern = '{' + patterns.join(',') + '}';
+    }
+
+    if (crawlOptions.recursive) {
+      searchPattern = searchPattern + '/**/';
+    }
+
+    searchPattern = `${searchPattern}/*.{${this.extensions.join(',')}}`;
+
+    const globbedFiles = await glob(searchPattern, {
       absolute: true,
       nocase: true,
       nodir: true,
       dot: includeHidden,
       ignore: exclusionPatterns,
     });
+
+    const returnedFiles = crawledFiles.concat(globbedFiles);
+    returnedFiles.sort();
+    return returnedFiles;
   }
 }