diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 409df450b..c497ae40f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ consumption to do the same tasks.
 Detailed list of changes
 -------------------------------------
 
+0.36.1 [future]
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- Allow specifying that the :opt:`cursor shape for unfocused windows <cursor_shape_unfocused>` should remain unchanged (:pull:`7728`)
+
 0.36.0 [2024-08-17]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/kitty/cursor.c b/kitty/cursor.c
index b80265e0f..fb5e7d506 100644
--- a/kitty/cursor.c
+++ b/kitty/cursor.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static int __eq__(Cursor *a, Cursor *b) {
     return EQ(bold) && EQ(italic) && EQ(strikethrough) && EQ(dim) && EQ(reverse) && EQ(decoration) && EQ(fg) && EQ(bg) && EQ(decoration_fg) && EQ(x) && EQ(y) && EQ(shape) && EQ(non_blinking);
 }
 
-static const char* cursor_names[NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES] = { "NO_SHAPE", "BLOCK", "BEAM", "UNDERLINE" };
+static const char* cursor_names[NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES] = { "NO_SHAPE", "BLOCK", "BEAM", "UNDERLINE", "HOLLOW" };
 
 #define BOOL(x) ((x) ? Py_True : Py_False)
 static PyObject *
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.c b/kitty/data-types.c
index 7f4b3e2e8..776ad2638 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.c
+++ b/kitty/data-types.c
@@ -728,6 +728,7 @@ PyInit_fast_data_types(void) {
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, CURSOR_BLOCK);
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, CURSOR_BEAM);
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, CURSOR_UNDERLINE);
+    PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, CURSOR_HOLLOW);
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, NO_CURSOR_SHAPE);
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, DECAWM);
     PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, DECCOLM);
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index 2b860f85f..a2db1f318 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ typedef uint16_t glyph_index;
 typedef uint32_t pixel;
 typedef unsigned int index_type;
 typedef uint16_t sprite_index;
-typedef enum CursorShapes { NO_CURSOR_SHAPE, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_UNDERLINE, NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES } CursorShape;
+typedef enum CursorShapes { NO_CURSOR_SHAPE, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_UNDERLINE, CURSOR_HOLLOW, NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES } CursorShape;
 typedef enum { DISABLE_LIGATURES_NEVER, DISABLE_LIGATURES_CURSOR, DISABLE_LIGATURES_ALWAYS } DisableLigature;
 
 #define ERROR_PREFIX "[PARSE ERROR]"
diff --git a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
index c2f191730..861eb6454 100644
--- a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
+++ b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ GLFW_RELEASE: int
 GLFW_REPEAT: int
 CURSOR_BEAM: int
 CURSOR_BLOCK: int
+CURSOR_HOLLOW: int
 NO_CURSOR_SHAPE: int
 CURSOR_UNDERLINE: int
 DECAWM: int
diff --git a/kitty/options/definition.py b/kitty/options/definition.py
index 07f9009e8..a6a4d13e3 100644
--- a/kitty/options/definition.py
+++ b/kitty/options/definition.py
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@
 opt('cursor_shape_unfocused', 'hollow', option_type='to_cursor_unfocused_shape', ctype='int', long_text='''
 Defines the text cursor shape when the OS window is not focused. The unfocused
 cursor shape can be one of :code:`block`, :code:`beam`, :code:`underline`,
-:code:`hollow`.
+:code:`hollow` and :code:`unchanged` (leave the cursor shape as it is).
 ''')
 
 opt('cursor_beam_thickness', '1.5',
diff --git a/kitty/options/types.py b/kitty/options/types.py
index 3fa0c38f8..067cc578e 100644
--- a/kitty/options/types.py
+++ b/kitty/options/types.py
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class Options:
     cursor_beam_thickness: float = 1.5
     cursor_blink_interval: typing.Tuple[float, kitty.options.utils.EasingFunction, kitty.options.utils.EasingFunction] = (-1.0, kitty.options.utils.EasingFunction(), kitty.options.utils.EasingFunction())
     cursor_shape: int = 1
-    cursor_shape_unfocused: int = 0
+    cursor_shape_unfocused: int = 4
     cursor_stop_blinking_after: float = 15.0
     cursor_text_color: typing.Optional[kitty.fast_data_types.Color] = Color(17, 17, 17)
     cursor_underline_thickness: float = 2.0
diff --git a/kitty/options/utils.py b/kitty/options/utils.py
index 876bf6381..49c8517bb 100644
--- a/kitty/options/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/options/utils.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     unit_float,
 )
 from kitty.constants import is_macos
-from kitty.fast_data_types import CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_UNDERLINE, NO_CURSOR_SHAPE, Color, Shlex, SingleKey
+from kitty.fast_data_types import CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_HOLLOW, CURSOR_UNDERLINE, NO_CURSOR_SHAPE, Color, Shlex, SingleKey
 from kitty.fonts import FontModification, FontSpec, ModificationType, ModificationUnit, ModificationValue
 from kitty.key_names import character_key_name_aliases, functional_key_name_aliases, get_key_name_lookup
 from kitty.rgb import color_as_int
@@ -530,7 +530,8 @@ def cursor_text_color(x: str) -> Optional[Color]:
     'block': CURSOR_BLOCK,
     'beam': CURSOR_BEAM,
     'underline': CURSOR_UNDERLINE,
-    'hollow': NO_CURSOR_SHAPE
+    'hollow': CURSOR_HOLLOW,
+    'unchanged': NO_CURSOR_SHAPE,
 }
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index a4ae03bcc..28f425f89 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -2442,8 +2442,7 @@ screen_request_capabilities(Screen *self, char c, const char *query) {
             if (strcmp(" q", query) == 0) {
                 // cursor shape DECSCUSR
                 switch(self->cursor->shape) {
-                    case NO_CURSOR_SHAPE:
-                    case NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES:
+                    case NO_CURSOR_SHAPE: case CURSOR_HOLLOW: case NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES:
                         shape = 1; break;
                     case CURSOR_BLOCK:
                         shape = self->cursor->non_blinking ? 2 : 0; break;
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 1cad02886..fa60a04f7 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -327,27 +327,17 @@ cell_update_uniform_block(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, int uniform_buffer, c
     if (cursor->opacity > 0) {
         rd->cursor_x = cursor->x, rd->cursor_y = cursor->y;
         rd->cursor_opacity = cursor->opacity;
-        if (cursor->is_focused) {
-            switch(cursor->shape) {
-                default:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BLOCK_IDX; break;
-                case CURSOR_BEAM:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BEAM_IDX; break;
-                case CURSOR_UNDERLINE:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNDERLINE_IDX; break;
-            }
-        } else {
-            switch(OPT(cursor_shape_unfocused)) {
-                default:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNFOCUSED_IDX; break;
-                case CURSOR_BEAM:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BEAM_IDX; break;
-                case CURSOR_UNDERLINE:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNDERLINE_IDX; break;
-                case CURSOR_BLOCK:
-                    rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BLOCK_IDX; break;
-            }
-        }
+        CursorShape cs = (cursor->is_focused || OPT(cursor_shape_unfocused) == NO_CURSOR_SHAPE) ? cursor->shape : OPT(cursor_shape_unfocused);
+        switch(cs) {
+            case CURSOR_BEAM:
+                rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BEAM_IDX; break;
+            case CURSOR_UNDERLINE:
+                rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNDERLINE_IDX; break;
+            case CURSOR_BLOCK: case NUM_OF_CURSOR_SHAPES:
+                rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = BLOCK_IDX; break;
+            case CURSOR_HOLLOW: case NO_CURSOR_SHAPE:
+                rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNFOCUSED_IDX; break;
+        };
         color_type cell_fg = rd->default_fg, cell_bg = rd->default_bg;
         index_type cell_color_x = cursor->x;
         bool reversed = false;