diff --git a/assets/config_menu/general.rml b/assets/config_menu/general.rml
index d23da93..48cbe40 100644
--- a/assets/config_menu/general.rml
+++ b/assets/config_menu/general.rml
@@ -73,6 +73,36 @@
                             />
                         </div>
                     </div>
+
+                    <!-- targeting mode -->
+                    <div class="config-option" data-event-mouseover="set_cur_config_index(3)" id="conf-general__Background-Input">
+                        <label class="config-option__title">Background Input</label>
+                        <div class="config-option__list">
+                            <input
+                                type="radio"
+                                data-event-blur="set_cur_config_index(-1)"
+                                data-event-focus="set_cur_config_index(3)"
+                                name="background_input_mode"
+                                data-checked="background_input_mode"
+                                value="On"
+                                id="bg_input_enabled"
+                                style="nav-up: #gyro_sensitivity_input"
+                            />
+                            <label class="config-option__tab-label" for="bg_input_enabled">On</label>
+
+                            <input
+                                type="radio"
+                                data-event-blur="set_cur_config_index(-1)"
+                                data-event-focus="set_cur_config_index(3)"
+                                name="background_input_mode"
+                                data-checked="background_input_mode"
+                                value="Off"
+                                id="bg_input_disabled"
+                                style="nav-up: #gyro_sensitivity_input"
+                            />
+                            <label class="config-option__tab-label" for="bg_input_disabled">Off</label>
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
                 </div>
                 <!-- Descriptions -->
                 <div class="config__wrapper">
@@ -85,6 +115,11 @@
                     <p data-if="cur_config_index == 2">
                         Controls the sensitivity of gyro when using a controller that supports it. Setting this to zero will disable gyro.
                     </p>
+                    <p data-if="cur_config_index == 3">
+                        Allows the game to read controller input when out of focus.
+                        <br/>
+                        <b>This setting does not affect keyboard input.</b>
+                    </p>
                 </div>
             </div>
         </form>
diff --git a/include/recomp_input.h b/include/recomp_input.h
index ef6f531..6315f48 100644
--- a/include/recomp_input.h
+++ b/include/recomp_input.h
@@ -143,6 +143,20 @@ namespace recomp {
     TargetingMode get_targeting_mode();
     void set_targeting_mode(TargetingMode mode);
 
+    enum class BackgroundInputMode {
+        On,
+        Off,
+		OptionCount
+    };
+
+    NLOHMANN_JSON_SERIALIZE_ENUM(recomp::BackgroundInputMode, {
+        {recomp::BackgroundInputMode::On, "On"},
+        {recomp::BackgroundInputMode::Off, "Off"}
+    });
+
+    BackgroundInputMode get_background_input_mode();
+    void set_background_input_mode(BackgroundInputMode mode);
+
     bool game_input_disabled();
     bool all_input_disabled();
 
diff --git a/src/game/config.cpp b/src/game/config.cpp
index 5dcabed..b81a9c9 100644
--- a/src/game/config.cpp
+++ b/src/game/config.cpp
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ void save_general_config(const std::filesystem::path& path) {
     nlohmann::json config_json{};
 
     recomp::to_json(config_json["targeting_mode"], recomp::get_targeting_mode());
+    recomp::to_json(config_json["background_input_mode"], recomp::get_background_input_mode());
     config_json["rumble_strength"] = recomp::get_rumble_strength();
     config_json["gyro_sensitivity"] = recomp::get_gyro_sensitivity();
     config_json["debug_mode"] = recomp::get_debug_mode_enabled();
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ void load_general_config(const std::filesystem::path& path) {
     config_file >> config_json;
     
     recomp::set_targeting_mode(from_or_default(config_json, "targeting_mode", recomp::TargetingMode::Switch));
+    recomp::set_background_input_mode(from_or_default(config_json, "background_input_mode", recomp::BackgroundInputMode::On));
     recomp::set_rumble_strength(from_or_default(config_json, "rumble_strength", 25));
     recomp::set_gyro_sensitivity(from_or_default(config_json, "gyro_sensitivity", 50));
     recomp::set_debug_mode_enabled(from_or_default(config_json, "debug_mode", false));
diff --git a/src/ui/ui_config.cpp b/src/ui/ui_config.cpp
index 8104fbd..c92035b 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui_config.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ui_config.cpp
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ struct ControlOptionsContext {
 	int rumble_strength = 50; // 0 to 100
 	int gyro_sensitivity = 50; // 0 to 200
 	recomp::TargetingMode targeting_mode = recomp::TargetingMode::Switch;
+	recomp::BackgroundInputMode background_input_mode = recomp::BackgroundInputMode::On;
 };
 
 ControlOptionsContext control_options_context;
@@ -286,6 +287,23 @@ void recomp::set_targeting_mode(recomp::TargetingMode mode) {
 	}
 }
 
+recomp::BackgroundInputMode recomp::get_background_input_mode() {
+	return control_options_context.background_input_mode;
+}
+
+void recomp::set_background_input_mode(recomp::BackgroundInputMode mode) {
+	control_options_context.background_input_mode = mode;
+	if (general_model_handle) {
+		general_model_handle.DirtyVariable("background_input_mode");
+	}
+	SDL_SetHint(
+		SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_ALLOW_BACKGROUND_EVENTS,
+		mode == recomp::BackgroundInputMode::On
+			? "1"
+			: "0"
+	);
+}
+
 struct SoundOptionsContext {
 	std::atomic<int> bgm_volume;
 	std::atomic<int> low_health_beeps_enabled; // RmlUi doesn't seem to like "true"/"false" strings for setting variants so an int is used here instead.
@@ -737,6 +755,7 @@ public:
 		constructor.Bind("rumble_strength", &control_options_context.rumble_strength);
 		constructor.Bind("gyro_sensitivity", &control_options_context.gyro_sensitivity);
 		bind_option(constructor, "targeting_mode", &control_options_context.targeting_mode);
+		bind_option(constructor, "background_input_mode", &control_options_context.background_input_mode);
 
 		general_model_handle = constructor.GetModelHandle();
 	}
diff --git a/src/ui/ui_renderer.cpp b/src/ui/ui_renderer.cpp
index 8ed0729..0b04879 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/ui_renderer.cpp
@@ -1150,9 +1150,27 @@ int cont_axis_to_key(SDL_ControllerAxisEvent& axis, float value) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+void apply_background_input_mode() {
+    static recomp::BackgroundInputMode last_input_mode = recomp::BackgroundInputMode::OptionCount;
+
+    recomp::BackgroundInputMode cur_input_mode = recomp::get_background_input_mode();
+
+    if (last_input_mode != cur_input_mode) {
+        SDL_SetHint(
+            SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_ALLOW_BACKGROUND_EVENTS,
+            cur_input_mode == recomp::BackgroundInputMode::On
+                ? "1"
+                : "0"
+        );
+    }
+    last_input_mode = cur_input_mode;
+}
+
 void draw_hook(RT64::RenderCommandList* command_list, RT64::RenderFramebuffer* swap_chain_framebuffer) {
     std::lock_guard lock {ui_context_mutex};
 
+    apply_background_input_mode();
+
     // Return early if the ui context has been destroyed already.
     if (!ui_context) {
         return;