diff --git a/src/Surface.zig b/src/Surface.zig
index 737414594..c4c30f675 100644
--- a/src/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/Surface.zig
@@ -1824,15 +1824,16 @@ pub fn focusCallback(self: *Surface, focused: bool) !void {
     // Schedule render which also drains our mailbox
     try self.queueRender();
 
-    // Notify the app about focus in/out if it is requesting it
+    // Update the focus state and notify the terminal about the focus event if
+    // it is requesting it
     {
         self.renderer_state.mutex.lock();
+        self.io.terminal.flags.focused = focused;
         const focus_event = self.io.terminal.modes.get(.focus_event);
         self.renderer_state.mutex.unlock();
 
         if (focus_event) {
-            const seq = if (focused) "\x1b[I" else "\x1b[O";
-            self.io.queueMessage(.{ .write_stable = seq }, .unlocked);
+            self.io.queueMessage(.{ .focused = focused }, .unlocked);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/terminal/Terminal.zig b/src/terminal/Terminal.zig
index 12a056664..0f15845dd 100644
--- a/src/terminal/Terminal.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/Terminal.zig
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ flags: packed struct {
     /// if the configuration allows it.
     mouse_shift_capture: enum(u2) { null, false, true } = .null,
 
+    /// True if the window is focused.
+    focused: bool = true,
+
     /// Dirty flags for the renderer.
     dirty: Dirty = .{},
 } = .{},
diff --git a/src/termio/Termio.zig b/src/termio/Termio.zig
index ae38eb043..f209748df 100644
--- a/src/termio/Termio.zig
+++ b/src/termio/Termio.zig
@@ -521,6 +521,12 @@ pub fn childExitedAbnormally(self: *Termio, exit_code: u32, runtime_ms: u64) !vo
     try self.backend.childExitedAbnormally(self.alloc, t, exit_code, runtime_ms);
 }
 
+/// Called when focus is gained or lost (when focus events are enabled)
+pub fn focusGained(self: *Termio, td: *ThreadData, focused: bool) !void {
+    const seq = if (focused) "\x1b[I" else "\x1b[O";
+    try self.queueWrite(td, seq, false);
+}
+
 /// Process output from the pty. This is the manual API that users can
 /// call with pty data but it is also called by the read thread when using
 /// an exec subprocess.
diff --git a/src/termio/Thread.zig b/src/termio/Thread.zig
index a62e0b8de..4c75b3b9e 100644
--- a/src/termio/Thread.zig
+++ b/src/termio/Thread.zig
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ fn drainMailbox(
             .start_synchronized_output => self.startSynchronizedOutput(cb),
             .linefeed_mode => |v| self.flags.linefeed_mode = v,
             .child_exited_abnormally => |v| try io.childExitedAbnormally(v.exit_code, v.runtime_ms),
+            .focused => |v| try io.focusGained(data, v),
             .write_small => |v| try io.queueWrite(
                 data,
                 v.data[0..v.len],
diff --git a/src/termio/message.zig b/src/termio/message.zig
index 6bdb7a2da..79b920ad7 100644
--- a/src/termio/message.zig
+++ b/src/termio/message.zig
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ pub const Message = union(enum) {
         runtime_ms: u64,
     },
 
+    /// The surface gained or lost focus.
+    focused: bool,
+
     /// Write where the data fits in the union.
     write_small: WriteReq.Small,
 
diff --git a/src/termio/stream_handler.zig b/src/termio/stream_handler.zig
index 93ee3e780..90a33e8b7 100644
--- a/src/termio/stream_handler.zig
+++ b/src/termio/stream_handler.zig
@@ -637,6 +637,10 @@ pub const StreamHandler = struct {
                 .size_report = .mode_2048,
             }),
 
+            .focus_event => if (enabled) self.messageWriter(.{
+                .focused = self.terminal.flags.focused,
+            }),
+
             .mouse_event_x10 => {
                 if (enabled) {
                     self.terminal.flags.mouse_event = .x10;