diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index b81c3492..fe5405bc 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -77,7 +77,11 @@ struct Config {
         int container_stack_limit;
         int container_stack_limit_value;
 
-        bool focus_follows_mouse;
+        /** By default, focus follows mouse. If the user explicitly wants to
+         * turn this off (and instead rely only on the keyboard for changing
+         * focus), we allow him to do this with this relatively special option.
+         * It is not planned to add any different focus models. */
+        bool disable_focus_follows_mouse;
 
         const char *default_border;
 
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.y b/src/cfgparse.y
index cc1b2d16..6b458e2c 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.y
+++ b/src/cfgparse.y
@@ -381,10 +381,27 @@ new_window:
         }
         ;
 
-focus_follows_mouse:
-        TOKFOCUSFOLLOWSMOUSE WHITESPACE NUMBER
+bool:
+        NUMBER
         {
-                config.focus_follows_mouse = ($<number>3 == 0 ? 0 : 1);
+                $<number>$ = ($<number>1 == 1);
+        }
+        | WORD
+        {
+                DLOG("checking word \"%s\"\n", $<string>1);
+                $<number>$ = (strcasecmp($<string>1, "yes") == 0 ||
+                              strcasecmp($<string>1, "true") == 0 ||
+                              strcasecmp($<string>1, "on") == 0 ||
+                              strcasecmp($<string>1, "enable") == 0 ||
+                              strcasecmp($<string>1, "active") == 0);
+        }
+        ;
+
+focus_follows_mouse:
+        TOKFOCUSFOLLOWSMOUSE WHITESPACE bool
+        {
+                DLOG("focus follows mouse = %d\n", $<number>3);
+                config.disable_focus_follows_mouse = !($<number>3);
         }
         ;
 
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index a0097bcd..6e54b04b 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ int handle_enter_notify(void *ignored, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_enter_notify_
                 return 1;
         }
 
-        if (config.focus_follows_mouse)
+        if (!config.disable_focus_follows_mouse)
                 set_focus(conn, client, false);
 
         return 1;