diff --git a/tabby-core/src/components/splitTab.component.ts b/tabby-core/src/components/splitTab.component.ts
index 54f223ca..c275ab1d 100644
--- a/tabby-core/src/components/splitTab.component.ts
+++ b/tabby-core/src/components/splitTab.component.ts
@@ -799,6 +799,9 @@ export class SplitTabComponent extends BaseTabComponent implements AfterViewInit
         const ref = tab.insertIntoContainer(this.viewContainer)
         this.viewRefs.set(tab, ref)
         tab.addEventListenerUntilDestroyed(ref.rootNodes[0], 'click', () => this.focus(tab))
+        if (this.config.store.terminal.focusFollowsMouse) {
+            tab.addEventListenerUntilDestroyed(ref.rootNodes[0], 'mousemove', () => this.focus(tab))
+        }
 
         tab.subscribeUntilDestroyed(tab.titleChange$, () => this.updateTitle())
         tab.subscribeUntilDestroyed(tab.activity$, a => a ? this.displayActivity() : this.clearActivity())
diff --git a/tabby-core/src/configDefaults.yaml b/tabby-core/src/configDefaults.yaml
index 823506e5..a4cd8be9 100644
--- a/tabby-core/src/configDefaults.yaml
+++ b/tabby-core/src/configDefaults.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ terminal:
   showBuiltinProfiles: true
   showRecentProfiles: 3
   paneResizeStep: 0.1
+  focusFollowsMouse: false
 hotkeys:
   profile:
     __nonStructural: true
diff --git a/tabby-settings/src/components/windowSettingsTab.component.pug b/tabby-settings/src/components/windowSettingsTab.component.pug
index 5dd1c5b3..b90752f1 100644
--- a/tabby-settings/src/components/windowSettingsTab.component.pug
+++ b/tabby-settings/src/components/windowSettingsTab.component.pug
@@ -319,6 +319,15 @@ h3.mt-4(translate) Panes
         step='0.05'
     )
 
+.form-line()
+    .header
+        .title(translate) Focus follows mouse
+        .description(translate) Moving the mouse over an inactive pane will cause it to activate
+    toggle(
+        [(ngModel)]='config.store.terminal.focusFollowsMouse',
+        (ngModelChange)='config.save(); config.requestRestart()'
+    )
+
 h3.mt-4(translate) Hacks
 
 .form-line