diff --git a/include/sway/commands.h b/include/sway/commands.h
index 91f2ae017..078652e70 100644
--- a/include/sway/commands.h
+++ b/include/sway/commands.h
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ sway_cmd cmd_mouse_warping;
 sway_cmd cmd_move;
 sway_cmd cmd_new_float;
 sway_cmd cmd_new_window;
+sway_cmd cmd_no_focus;
 sway_cmd cmd_orientation;
 sway_cmd cmd_output;
 sway_cmd cmd_permit;
diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 2de904344..35f8d5f7e 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ struct sway_config {
 	list_t *output_configs;
 	list_t *input_configs;
 	list_t *criteria;
+	list_t *no_focus;
 	list_t *active_bar_modifiers;
 	struct sway_mode *current_mode;
 	struct bar_config *current_bar;
diff --git a/include/sway/criteria.h b/include/sway/criteria.h
index 022c48a85..c5ed9857e 100644
--- a/include/sway/criteria.h
+++ b/include/sway/criteria.h
@@ -36,4 +36,7 @@ list_t *criteria_for(swayc_t *cont);
 // Returns a list of all containers that match the given list of tokens.
 list_t *container_for(list_t *tokens);
 
+// Returns true if any criteria in the given list matches this container
+bool criteria_any(swayc_t *cont, list_t *criteria);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 4d7af3017..01e5e6b5e 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ static struct cmd_handler handlers[] = {
 	{ "move", cmd_move },
 	{ "new_float", cmd_new_float },
 	{ "new_window", cmd_new_window },
+	{ "no_focus", cmd_no_focus },
 	{ "output", cmd_output },
 	{ "permit", cmd_permit },
 	{ "reject", cmd_reject },
diff --git a/sway/commands/no_focus.c b/sway/commands/no_focus.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3b88e5aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sway/commands/no_focus.c
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#define _XOPEN_SOURCE 500
+#include <string.h>
+#include "sway/commands.h"
+#include "sway/criteria.h"
+#include "list.h"
+#include "log.h"
+#include "stringop.h"
+
+struct cmd_results *cmd_no_focus(int argc, char **argv) {
+	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
+	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "no_focus", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1))) {
+		return error;
+	}
+	// add command to a criteria/command pair that is run against views when they appear.
+	char *criteria = argv[0];
+
+	struct criteria *crit = malloc(sizeof(struct criteria));
+	if (!crit) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "no_focus", "Unable to allocate criteria");
+	}
+	crit->crit_raw = strdup(criteria);
+	crit->tokens = create_list();
+	crit->cmdlist = NULL;
+	char *err_str = extract_crit_tokens(crit->tokens, crit->crit_raw);
+
+	if (err_str) {
+		error = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "no_focus", err_str);
+		free(err_str);
+		free_criteria(crit);
+	} else if (crit->tokens->length == 0) {
+		error = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "no_focus", "Found no name/value pairs in criteria");
+		free_criteria(crit);
+	} else if (list_seq_find(config->no_focus, criteria_cmp, crit) != -1) {
+		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "no_focus: Duplicate, skipping.");
+		free_criteria(crit);
+	} else {
+		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "no_focus: '%s' added", crit->crit_raw);
+		list_add(config->no_focus, crit);
+	}
+	return error ? error : cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 0014b33a1..19b1882f4 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -249,6 +249,11 @@ void free_config(struct sway_config *config) {
 	}
 	list_free(config->criteria);
 
+	for (i = 0; config->no_focus && i < config->no_focus->length; ++i) {
+		free_criteria(config->no_focus->items[i]);
+	}
+	list_free(config->no_focus);
+
 	for (i = 0; config->input_configs && i < config->input_configs->length; ++i) {
 		free_input_config(config->input_configs->items[i]);
 	}
@@ -291,6 +296,7 @@ static void config_defaults(struct sway_config *config) {
 	if (!(config->workspace_outputs = create_list())) goto cleanup;
 	if (!(config->pid_workspaces = create_list())) goto cleanup;
 	if (!(config->criteria = create_list())) goto cleanup;
+	if (!(config->no_focus = create_list())) goto cleanup;
 	if (!(config->input_configs = create_list())) goto cleanup;
 	if (!(config->output_configs = create_list())) goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/sway/criteria.c b/sway/criteria.c
index ee6d4d1c0..1ea8311e4 100644
--- a/sway/criteria.c
+++ b/sway/criteria.c
@@ -359,6 +359,16 @@ void free_criteria(struct criteria *crit) {
 	free(crit);
 }
 
+bool criteria_any(swayc_t *cont, list_t *criteria) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < criteria->length; i++) {
+		struct criteria *bc = criteria->items[i];
+		if (criteria_test(cont, bc->tokens)) {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
 list_t *criteria_for(swayc_t *cont) {
 	list_t *criteria = config->criteria, *matches = create_list();
 	for (int i = 0; i < criteria->length; i++) {
diff --git a/sway/handlers.c b/sway/handlers.c
index a8de135fd..da765d6d4 100644
--- a/sway/handlers.c
+++ b/sway/handlers.c
@@ -390,8 +390,10 @@ static bool handle_view_created(wlc_handle handle) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	swayc_t *prev_focus = get_focused_container(&root_container);
+
 	if (!focused || focused->type == C_OUTPUT) {
-		focused = get_focused_container(&root_container);
+		focused = prev_focus;
 		// Move focus from floating view
 		if (focused->is_floating) {
 			// To workspace if there are no children
@@ -500,6 +502,16 @@ static bool handle_view_created(wlc_handle handle) {
 		workspace_switch(current_ws);
 		set_focused_container(get_focused_container(current_ws));
 	}
+	if (prev_focus && prev_focus->type == C_VIEW
+			&& newview && criteria_any(newview, config->no_focus)) {
+		// Restore focus
+		swayc_t *ws = swayc_parent_by_type(newview, C_WORKSPACE);
+		if (!ws || ws != newview->parent
+				|| ws->children->length + ws->floating->length != 1) {
+			sway_log(L_DEBUG, "no_focus: restoring focus to %s", prev_focus->name);
+			set_focused_container(prev_focus);
+		}
+	}
 
 	suspend_workspace_cleanup = false;
 	ws_cleanup();
diff --git a/sway/sway.5.txt b/sway/sway.5.txt
index 4bc968e04..1fa0b8560 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.txt
+++ b/sway/sway.5.txt
@@ -336,6 +336,10 @@ The default colors are:
 	When _output_: place mouse at center of newly focused window when changing
 	output. When _none_: don't move mouse.
 
+**no_focus** <criteria>::
+	Prevents windows matching <criteria> from being focused automatically when
+	they're created. This does not apply to the first window in a workspace.
+
 **output** <name> <resolution|res> <WIDTHxHEIGHT>::
 	Configures the specified output to use the given resolution.
 	+