diff --git a/src/core/core.c b/src/core/core.c
index 1808f4e8d..1bc84645b 100644
--- a/src/core/core.c
+++ b/src/core/core.c
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ meta_core_user_focus (Display *xdisplay,
 {
   MetaWindow *window = get_window (xdisplay, frame_xwindow);
   
-  meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+  meta_window_focus_implicitly (window, timestamp);
 }
 
 void
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ meta_core_show_window_menu (Display *xdisplay,
   
   if (meta_prefs_get_raise_on_click ())
     meta_window_raise (window);
-  meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+  meta_window_focus_implicitly (window, timestamp);
 
   meta_window_show_menu (window, root_x, root_y, button, timestamp);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index db34bfbb8..7f2fa5439 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -2244,7 +2244,7 @@ event_callback (XEvent   *event,
                           meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                                       "Focusing %s due to unmodified button %u press (display.c)\n",
                                       window->desc, device_event->detail);
-                          meta_window_focus (window, device_event->time);
+                          meta_window_focus_implicitly (window, device_event->time);
                         }
                       else
                         /* However, do allow terminals to lose focus due to new
diff --git a/src/core/keybindings.c b/src/core/keybindings.c
index 35de8d590..bb91f56d8 100644
--- a/src/core/keybindings.c
+++ b/src/core/keybindings.c
@@ -1578,7 +1578,7 @@ meta_window_grab_all_keys (MetaWindow  *window,
   meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
               "Focusing %s because we're grabbing all its keys\n",
               window->desc);
-  meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+  meta_window_focus_implicitly (window, timestamp);
 
   grabwindow = window->frame ? window->frame->xwindow : window->xwindow;
 
diff --git a/src/core/screen.c b/src/core/screen.c
index fc0c3ae19..ae334fe8c 100644
--- a/src/core/screen.c
+++ b/src/core/screen.c
@@ -2984,7 +2984,7 @@ meta_screen_show_desktop (MetaScreen *screen,
       if (w->screen == screen  && 
           w->type == META_WINDOW_DESKTOP)
         {
-          meta_window_focus (w, timestamp);
+          meta_window_focus_explicitly (w, timestamp);
           break;
         }
       
diff --git a/src/core/window-private.h b/src/core/window-private.h
index 1fc4d5965..abdc727fa 100644
--- a/src/core/window-private.h
+++ b/src/core/window-private.h
@@ -701,4 +701,7 @@ void meta_window_handle_enter (MetaWindow  *window,
                                guint        root_x,
                                guint        root_y);
 
+void meta_window_focus_implicitly (MetaWindow *window,
+                                   guint32     timestamp);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index ff27d0ad8..f197762cc 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -3183,7 +3183,7 @@ meta_window_show (MetaWindow *window)
 
           timestamp = meta_display_get_current_time_roundtrip (window->display);
 
-          meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+          meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
         }
       else
         {
@@ -4225,7 +4225,7 @@ meta_window_shade (MetaWindow  *window,
       meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                   "Re-focusing window %s after shading it\n",
                   window->desc);
-      meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+      meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
 
       set_net_wm_state (window);
     }
@@ -4249,7 +4249,7 @@ meta_window_unshade (MetaWindow  *window,
       meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                   "Focusing window %s after unshading it\n",
                   window->desc);
-      meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+      meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
 
       set_net_wm_state (window);
     }
@@ -4348,7 +4348,7 @@ window_activate (MetaWindow     *window,
   meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
               "Focusing window %s due to activation\n",
               window->desc);
-  meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+  meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
 
   meta_window_check_alive (window, timestamp);
 }
@@ -5972,17 +5972,18 @@ get_modal_transient (MetaWindow *window)
 }
 
 /* XXX META_EFFECT_FOCUS */
-void
-meta_window_focus (MetaWindow  *window,
-                   guint32      timestamp)
+static void
+meta_window_focus_internal (MetaWindow  *window,
+                            guint32      timestamp,
+                            gboolean     explicit_focus)
 {
   MetaWindow *modal_transient;
 
   g_return_if_fail (!window->override_redirect);
 
   meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
-              "Setting input focus to window %s, input: %d take_focus: %d\n",
-              window->desc, window->input, window->take_focus);
+              "%s setting input focus to window %s, input: %d take_focus: %d\n",
+              explicit_focus ? "Explicitly" : "Implicitly", window->desc, window->input, window->take_focus);
 
   if (window->display->grab_window &&
       window->display->grab_window->all_keys_grabbed)
@@ -6017,15 +6018,16 @@ meta_window_focus (MetaWindow  *window,
       return;
     }
 
-  /* For output-only or shaded windows, focus the frame.
-   * This seems to result in the client window getting key events
-   * though, so I don't know if it's icccm-compliant.
+  /* For output-only or shaded windows, focus the frame if it was
+   * an explicit focus event. This seems to result in the client
+   * window getting key events though, so I don't know if it's
+   * icccm-compliant.
    *
    * Still, we have to do this or keynav breaks for these windows.
    */
   if (window->frame &&
       (window->shaded ||
-       (!window->input && !window->take_focus)))
+       (explicit_focus && !window->input && !window->take_focus)))
     {
       if (window->frame)
         {
@@ -6068,6 +6070,40 @@ meta_window_focus (MetaWindow  *window,
 /*  meta_effect_run_focus(window, NULL, NULL); */
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_window_focus_explicitly:
+ * @window: A #MetaWindow
+ * @timestamp: The timestamp to focus the window with
+ *
+ * Explicitly grab the window's focus. This should be used in cases
+ * where the user wants to focus the window with Alt-Tab, pagers,
+ * or other means like that, as opposed to simply clicking on the
+ * window or other focus-modes like focus-follows-mouse.
+ */
+void
+meta_window_focus_explicitly (MetaWindow *window,
+                              guint32     timestamp)
+{
+  meta_window_focus_internal (window, timestamp, TRUE);
+}
+
+/**
+ * meta_window_focus_implicitly:
+ * @window: A #MetaWindow
+ * @timestamp: The timestamp to focus the window with
+ *
+ * Implicitly focus the window. This should be done if the user
+ * simply clicks on the window. Most of the time, this should be
+ * handled by mutter internally, and you should never have to
+ * call this.
+ */
+void
+meta_window_focus_implicitly (MetaWindow *window,
+                              guint32     timestamp)
+{
+  meta_window_focus_internal (window, timestamp, FALSE);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_change_workspace_without_transients (MetaWindow    *window,
                                                  MetaWorkspace *workspace)
@@ -11467,7 +11503,7 @@ mouse_mode_focus (MetaWindow  *window,
       meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                   "Focusing %s at time %u.\n", window->desc, timestamp);
 
-      meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+      meta_window_focus_implicitly (window, timestamp);
 
       if (meta_prefs_get_auto_raise ())
         meta_display_queue_autoraise_callback (display, window);
diff --git a/src/core/workspace.c b/src/core/workspace.c
index e5da6d226..4617dd4dc 100644
--- a/src/core/workspace.c
+++ b/src/core/workspace.c
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ meta_workspace_focus_default_window (MetaWorkspace *workspace,
             {
               meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                           "Focusing mouse window %s\n", window->desc);
-              meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+              meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
             }
 
           if (workspace->screen->display->autoraise_window != window &&
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@ focus_ancestor_or_top_window (MetaWorkspace *workspace,
                       "Focusing %s, ancestor of %s\n", 
                       ancestor->desc, not_this_one->desc);
       
-          meta_window_focus (ancestor, timestamp);
+          meta_window_focus_explicitly (ancestor, timestamp);
 
           /* Also raise the window if in click-to-focus */
           if (meta_prefs_get_focus_mode () == G_DESKTOP_FOCUS_MODE_CLICK)
@@ -1338,7 +1338,7 @@ focus_ancestor_or_top_window (MetaWorkspace *workspace,
       meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS,
                   "Focusing workspace MRU window %s\n", window->desc);
       
-      meta_window_focus (window, timestamp);
+      meta_window_focus_explicitly (window, timestamp);
 
       /* Also raise the window if in click-to-focus */
       if (meta_prefs_get_focus_mode () == G_DESKTOP_FOCUS_MODE_CLICK)
diff --git a/src/meta/window.h b/src/meta/window.h
index 66cdfad5e..5bf92c36f 100644
--- a/src/meta/window.h
+++ b/src/meta/window.h
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ void        meta_window_stick              (MetaWindow  *window);
 void        meta_window_unstick            (MetaWindow  *window);
 
 void        meta_window_kill               (MetaWindow  *window);
-void        meta_window_focus              (MetaWindow  *window,
+void        meta_window_focus_explicitly   (MetaWindow  *window,
                                             guint32      timestamp);
 
 void        meta_window_check_alive        (MetaWindow  *window,