diff --git a/GoToWindow/App.config b/GoToWindow/App.config
index 288b1a2..d572bfe 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/App.config
+++ b/GoToWindow/App.config
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
             <setting name="OpenShortcut" serializeAs="String">
                 <value>5B+09:2</value>
             </setting>
+            <setting name="KeepOpenOnLostFocus" serializeAs="String">
+                <value>False</value>
+            </setting>
         </GoToWindow.Properties.Settings>
     </userSettings>
   <runtime>
diff --git a/GoToWindow/App.xaml.cs b/GoToWindow/App.xaml.cs
index ab6fc72..d11beca 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/App.xaml.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/App.xaml.cs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ private void Application_Deactivated(object sender, EventArgs e)
 			Log.Debug("Application deactivated.");
 
 			if (_context != null)
-				_context.Hide();
+				_context.Hide(false);
 		}
 
 		private void Application_DispatcherUnhandledException(object sender, System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherUnhandledExceptionEventArgs e)
diff --git a/GoToWindow/GoToWindowContext.cs b/GoToWindow/GoToWindowContext.cs
index 2413e64..ea63856 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/GoToWindowContext.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/GoToWindowContext.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 using System.Windows.Interop;
 using System.Windows.Threading;
 using GoToWindow.Api;
+using GoToWindow.Properties;
 using GoToWindow.ViewModels;
 using GoToWindow.Windows;
 using log4net;
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ public interface IGoToWindowContext : IDisposable
 		IGoToWindowPluginsContainer PluginsContainer { get; }
 		void Init();
 		void Show();
-		void Hide();
+		void Hide(bool requested);
 		void EnableKeyboardHook(KeyboardShortcut shortcut);
 		void ShowSettings();
 		void UpdateAvailable(string version);
@@ -129,13 +130,16 @@ private void SetAvailableWindowSize(double screenWidth, double screenHeight)
 			}
 		}
 
-		public void Hide()
+		public void Hide(bool requested)
 		{
-			Hide(false);
+			Hide(false, requested);
 		}
 
-		public void Hide(bool hideIfPending)
+		public void Hide(bool hideIfPending, bool requested)
 		{
+			if (!requested && Settings.Default.KeepOpenOnLostFocus)
+				return;
+
 			lock (_lock)
 			{
 				if (_state == GoToWindowState.Showing)
@@ -256,7 +260,7 @@ private bool HideWindowIfNotForeground()
 			Log.DebugFormat("Window does not have focus when initialization is complete. Current foreground window is {0} (Process '{1}')", foregroundWindow.HWnd, foregroundWindow.ProcessName);
 #endif
 
-			Hide();
+			Hide(false);
 			return true;
 		}
 
@@ -276,9 +280,9 @@ private void HandleShortcut()
 			Application.Current.Dispatcher.InvokeAsync(Show, DispatcherPriority.Normal);
 		}
 
-		private void _mainViewModel_Hide(object sender, EventArgs e)
+		private void _mainViewModel_Hide(object sender, CloseEventArgs e)
 		{
-			Hide();
+			Hide(false, e.Requested);
 		}
 
 		public void Dispose()
diff --git a/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.Designer.cs b/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.Designer.cs
index c612d23..7a123b6 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.Designer.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.Designer.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace GoToWindow.Properties {
     
     
     [global::System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilerGeneratedAttribute()]
-    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCodeAttribute("Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.SettingsDesigner.SettingsSingleFileGenerator", "12.0.0.0")]
+    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCodeAttribute("Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.SettingsDesigner.SettingsSingleFileGenerator", "14.0.0.0")]
     internal sealed partial class Settings : global::System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase {
         
         private static Settings defaultInstance = ((Settings)(global::System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.Synchronized(new Settings())));
@@ -57,5 +57,17 @@ public string OpenShortcut {
                 this["OpenShortcut"] = value;
             }
         }
+        
+        [global::System.Configuration.UserScopedSettingAttribute()]
+        [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()]
+        [global::System.Configuration.DefaultSettingValueAttribute("False")]
+        public bool KeepOpenOnLostFocus {
+            get {
+                return ((bool)(this["KeepOpenOnLostFocus"]));
+            }
+            set {
+                this["KeepOpenOnLostFocus"] = value;
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.settings b/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.settings
index 4469bd1..ca1c952 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.settings
+++ b/GoToWindow/Properties/Settings.settings
@@ -11,5 +11,8 @@
     <Setting Name="OpenShortcut" Type="System.String" Scope="User">
       <Value Profile="(Default)">5B+09:2</Value>
     </Setting>
+    <Setting Name="KeepOpenOnLostFocus" Type="System.Boolean" Scope="User">
+      <Value Profile="(Default)">False</Value>
+    </Setting>
   </Settings>
 </SettingsFile>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/GoToWindow/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs b/GoToWindow/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
index 952f133..3d9b5f7 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public bool UpdateAvailable
 
         public ICommand GoToWindowEntryShortcut { get; private set; }
 
-		public event EventHandler Close;
+		public event CloseEventHandler Close;
 
         public MainViewModel()
         {
@@ -140,10 +140,10 @@ public void Empty()
 			IsRowIndexVisible = false;
 		}
 
-		public void AskClose()
+		public void AskClose(bool requested)
 		{
 			if (Close != null)
-				Close(this, new EventArgs());
+				Close(this, new CloseEventArgs(requested));
 		}
 
         private ISearchResult GetEntryAt(int index)
@@ -162,7 +162,19 @@ private ISearchResult GetEntryAt(int index)
         private void GoToWindowEntryShortcutCommand_Executed(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
             if (Close != null)
-                Close(this, new EventArgs());
+                Close(this, new CloseEventArgs(true));
         }
 	}
+
+	public delegate void CloseEventHandler(object sender, CloseEventArgs args);
+
+	public class CloseEventArgs : EventArgs
+	{
+		public bool Requested { get; private set; }
+
+		public CloseEventArgs(bool requested)
+		{
+			Requested = requested;
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/GoToWindow/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs b/GoToWindow/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
index c1c9847..2f6e255 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public SettingsViewModel(IGoToWindowContext context)
 		}
 
 		public bool WindowListSingleClick { get; set; }
+		public bool KeepOpenOnLostFocus { get; set; }
 		public bool NoElevatedPrivilegesWarning { get; set; }
 		public string Version { get; set; }
 		public List<SettingsPluginViewModel> Plugins { get; protected set; }
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ public void Load()
 		{
 			// Settings
 		    WindowListSingleClick = Settings.Default.WindowListSingleClick;
+			KeepOpenOnLostFocus = Settings.Default.KeepOpenOnLostFocus;
 
 			// Shortcut
 			var shortcut = KeyboardShortcut.FromString(Settings.Default.OpenShortcut);
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@ public void Apply()
 
 			// Settings
 			Settings.Default.WindowListSingleClick = WindowListSingleClick;
+			Settings.Default.KeepOpenOnLostFocus = KeepOpenOnLostFocus;
 
 			// Plugins
 			var disabledPlugins = new StringCollection();
diff --git a/GoToWindow/Windows/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/GoToWindow/Windows/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 4a42577..eb99549 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/Windows/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/GoToWindow/Windows/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ private void FocusSelectedWindowItem()
 
 	        windowEntry.Select();
 
-	        ViewModel.AskClose();
+	        ViewModel.AskClose(true);
         }
 
         private void SearchTextBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ private void WindowsListView_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
 
         private void ClearSearchButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         {
-			ViewModel.AskClose();
+			ViewModel.AskClose(true);
         }
 
         private void Window_Activated(object sender, EventArgs e)
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ private void Window_Activated(object sender, EventArgs e)
         private void Window_Deactivated(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
             Log.Debug("Window deactivated.");
-			ViewModel.AskClose();
+			ViewModel.AskClose(false);
         }
 
 		private void Window_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ private void Window_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
 				ViewModel.IsRowIndexVisible = true;
 
 			if (e.Key == Key.Escape)
-				ViewModel.AskClose();
+				ViewModel.AskClose(true);
 		}
 
         private void Window_PreviewKeyUp(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
diff --git a/GoToWindow/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml b/GoToWindow/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
index 4c3c530..8188c1d 100644
--- a/GoToWindow/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
+++ b/GoToWindow/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
 						</StackPanel>
 
 						<CheckBox x:Name="WindowListSingleClick" Content="Click once to select an item in the windows list" IsChecked="{Binding WindowListSingleClick}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="2" />
+						<CheckBox x:Name="KeepOpenWhenLostFocus" Content="Keep the GoToWindow search form opened when focus is lost" IsChecked="{Binding KeepOpenOnLostFocus}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="2" />
 					</StackPanel>
 				</Grid>
 			</TabItem>