diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d08ea1d..dfcc4b2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ end
 class AlbumSerializer
   include RestPack::Serializer
   attributes :id, :title, :year, :artist_id, :extras
+  optional :score
+
   can_include :artists, :songs
   can_filter_by :year
 
@@ -78,6 +80,18 @@ end
 AlbumSerializer.as_json(album, { admin?: true })
 ```
 
+All `attributes` are serialized by default. If you'd like to skip an attribute, you can pass an option in the `@context` as follows:
+
+```ruby
+AlbumSerializer.as_json(album, { include_title?: false })
+```
+
+You can also define `optional` attributes which aren't included by default. To include:
+
+```ruby
+AlbumSerializer.as_json(album, { include_score?: true })
+```
+
 ## Exposing an API
 
 The `AlbumSerializer` provides `page` and `resource` methods which provide paged collection and singular resource GET endpoints.
@@ -114,8 +128,7 @@ AlbumSerializer.page(params, Albums.where("year < 1950"), { admin?: true })
 ```
 
 Other features:
- * [Dynamically Include/Exclude Attributes](https://github.com/RestPack/restpack_serializer/blob/master/spec/serializable/serializer_spec.rb#L42)
- * [Custom Attributes Hash](https://github.com/RestPack/restpack_serializer/blob/master/spec/serializable/serializer_spec.rb#L46)
+ * [Custom Attributes Hash](https://github.com/RestPack/restpack_serializer/blob/master/spec/serializable/serializer_spec.rb#L55)
 
 ## Paging
 
diff --git a/lib/restpack_serializer/serializable/attributes.rb b/lib/restpack_serializer/serializable/attributes.rb
index 8bb19ec..321232e 100644
--- a/lib/restpack_serializer/serializable/attributes.rb
+++ b/lib/restpack_serializer/serializable/attributes.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ def attributes(*attrs)
       attrs.each { |attr| attribute attr }
     end
 
+    def optional(*attrs)
+      attrs.each { |attr| optional_attribute attr }
+    end
+
     def transform(attrs = [], transform_lambda)
       attrs.each { |attr| transform_attribute(attr, transform_lambda) }
     end
@@ -34,6 +38,12 @@ def attribute(name, options={})
       define_include_method name
     end
 
+    def optional_attribute(name, options={})
+      add_to_serializable(name, options)
+      define_attribute_method name
+      define_optional_include_method name
+    end
+
     def define_attribute_method(name)
       unless method_defined?(name)
         define_method name do
@@ -45,12 +55,22 @@ def define_attribute_method(name)
       end
     end
 
-    def define_include_method(name)
+    def define_optional_include_method(name)
+      define_include_method(name, false)
+    end
+
+    def define_include_method(name, include_by_default=true)
       method = "include_#{name}?".to_sym
 
       unless method_defined?(method)
-        define_method method do
-          @context[method].nil? || @context[method]
+        if include_by_default
+          define_method method do
+            @context[method].nil? || @context[method]
+          end
+        else
+          define_method method do
+            @context[method].present?
+          end
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/serializable/attributes_spec.rb b/spec/serializable/attributes_spec.rb
index b0f9556..b934643 100644
--- a/spec/serializable/attributes_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/serializable/attributes_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
   class CustomSerializer
     include RestPack::Serializer
     attributes :a, :b, :c
+    attributes :d, :e
+    optional :sometimes, :maybe
     attribute :old_attribute, :key => :new_key
     transform [:gonzaga], lambda { |name, model| model.send(name).downcase }
   end
@@ -11,11 +13,11 @@ class CustomSerializer
   subject(:attributes) { CustomSerializer.serializable_attributes }
 
   it "correctly models specified attributes" do
-    expect(attributes.length).to be(5)
+    expect(attributes.length).to be(9)
   end
 
   it "correctly maps normal attributes" do
-    [:a, :b, :c].each do |attr|
+    [:a, :b, :c, :d, :e].each do |attr|
       expect(attributes[attr]).to eq(attr)
     end
   end
@@ -24,6 +26,26 @@ class CustomSerializer
     expect(attributes[:new_key]).to eq(:old_attribute)
   end
 
+  describe "optional attributes" do
+    let(:model) { OpenStruct.new(a: 'A', sometimes: 'SOMETIMES', gonzaga: 'GONZAGA') }
+    let(:context) { {} }
+    subject(:as_json) { CustomSerializer.as_json(model, context) }
+
+    context 'with no includes context' do
+      it "excludes by default" do
+        expect(as_json[:sometimes]).to eq(nil)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with an includes context' do
+      let(:context) { { include_sometimes?: true } }
+
+      it "allows then to be included" do
+        expect(as_json[:sometimes]).to eq('SOMETIMES')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#transform_attributes' do
     let(:model) { OpenStruct.new(gonzaga: 'IS A SCHOOL') }