diff --git a/lib/doc/worksheet.js b/lib/doc/worksheet.js
index 3b43e3b03..e772eb9e9 100644
--- a/lib/doc/worksheet.js
+++ b/lib/doc/worksheet.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ var Worksheet = module.exports = function(options) {
   this.name = options.name || 'Sheet' + this.id;
 
   // add a state
-  this.state = options.state || 'show';
+  this.state = options.state || 'visible';
 
   // rows allows access organised by row. Sparse array of arrays indexed by row-1, col
   // Note: _rows is zero based. Must subtract 1 to go from cell.row to index
diff --git a/lib/stream/xlsx/worksheet-writer.js b/lib/stream/xlsx/worksheet-writer.js
index 180a8f7d6..887c56404 100644
--- a/lib/stream/xlsx/worksheet-writer.js
+++ b/lib/stream/xlsx/worksheet-writer.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ var WorksheetWriter = module.exports = function(options) {
   this.name = options.name || 'Sheet' + this.id;
 
   // add a state
-  this.state = options.state || 'show';
+  this.state = options.state || 'visible';
 
   // rows are stored here while they need to be worked on.
   // when they are committed, they will be deleted.
diff --git a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.1.json b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.1.json
index 26d248474..37e6a055a 100644
--- a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.1.json
+++ b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.1.json
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@
     {"visibility": "hidden"}
   ],
   "sheets": [
-    {"name": "Values", "id": 1, "rId": "rId1", "state": "show"},
-    {"name": "Other", "id": 2, "rId": "rId2", "state": "hidden"}
+    {"name": "Visible", "id": 1, "rId": "rId1", "state": "visible"},
+    {"name": "Hidden", "id": 2, "rId": "rId2", "state": "hidden"},
+    {"name": "VeryHidden", "id": 3, "rId": "rId3", "state": "veryHidden"}
   ],
   "properties": {
   	"date1904": true
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.2.xml b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.2.xml
index ac0a19271..5bfef95d6 100644
--- a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.2.xml
+++ b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.2.xml
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
         <workbookView visibility="hidden" xWindow="0" yWindow="0" windowWidth="12000" windowHeight="24000"/>
     </bookViews>
     <sheets>
-        <sheet name="Values" sheetId="1" r:id="rId1" state="show"/>
-        <sheet name="Other" sheetId="2" r:id="rId2" state="hidden"/>
+        <sheet name="Visible" sheetId="1" r:id="rId1" state="visible"/>
+        <sheet name="Hidden" sheetId="2" r:id="rId2" state="hidden"/>
+        <sheet name="VeryHidden" sheetId="3" r:id="rId3" state="veryHidden"/>
     </sheets>
     <calcPr calcId="171027"/>
-</workbook>
\ No newline at end of file
+</workbook>
diff --git a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.3.json b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.3.json
index 85d1430ad..aa3c7caab 100644
--- a/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.3.json
+++ b/spec/unit/xlsx/xform/book/data/book.1.3.json
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@
     {"visibility": "hidden", "x": 0, "y": 0, "width": 12000, "height": 24000}
   ],
   "sheets": [
-    {"name": "Values", "id": 1, "rId": "rId1", "state": "show"},
-    {"name": "Other", "id": 2, "rId": "rId2", "state": "hidden"}
+    {"name": "Visible", "id": 1, "rId": "rId1", "state": "visible"},
+    {"name": "Hidden", "id": 2, "rId": "rId2", "state": "hidden"},
+    {"name": "VeryHidden", "id": 3, "rId": "rId3", "state": "veryHidden"}
   ],
   "properties": {
   	"date1904": true
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}