diff --git a/include/sway/commands.h b/include/sway/commands.h
index bbbdfc80..3fde0893 100644
--- a/include/sway/commands.h
+++ b/include/sway/commands.h
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ sway_cmd seat_cmd_idle_inhibit;
 sway_cmd seat_cmd_idle_wake;
 sway_cmd seat_cmd_keyboard_grouping;
 sway_cmd seat_cmd_pointer_constraint;
+sway_cmd seat_cmd_shortcuts_inhibitor;
 sway_cmd seat_cmd_xcursor_theme;
 
 sway_cmd cmd_ipc_cmd;
diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index fdd65efd..359f9604 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ enum seat_config_allow_constrain {
 	CONSTRAIN_DISABLE
 };
 
+enum seat_config_shortcuts_inhibit {
+	SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DEFAULT,  // the default is currently enabled
+	SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_ENABLE,
+	SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DISABLE
+};
+
 enum seat_keyboard_grouping {
 	KEYBOARD_GROUP_DEFAULT,  // the default is currently smart
 	KEYBOARD_GROUP_NONE,
@@ -201,6 +207,7 @@ struct seat_config {
 	list_t *attachments; // list of seat_attachment configs
 	int hide_cursor_timeout;
 	enum seat_config_allow_constrain allow_constrain;
+	enum seat_config_shortcuts_inhibit shortcuts_inhibit;
 	enum seat_keyboard_grouping keyboard_grouping;
 	uint32_t idle_inhibit_sources, idle_wake_sources;
 	struct {
diff --git a/sway/commands/seat.c b/sway/commands/seat.c
index eba28cac..84c6ba53 100644
--- a/sway/commands/seat.c
+++ b/sway/commands/seat.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ static struct cmd_handler seat_handlers[] = {
 	{ "idle_wake", seat_cmd_idle_wake },
 	{ "keyboard_grouping", seat_cmd_keyboard_grouping },
 	{ "pointer_constraint", seat_cmd_pointer_constraint },
+	{ "shortcuts_inhibitor", seat_cmd_shortcuts_inhibitor },
 	{ "xcursor_theme", seat_cmd_xcursor_theme },
 };
 
diff --git a/sway/commands/seat/shortcuts_inhibitor.c b/sway/commands/seat/shortcuts_inhibitor.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c7f99cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sway/commands/seat/shortcuts_inhibitor.c
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#include "log.h"
+#include "sway/commands.h"
+#include "sway/input/seat.h"
+#include "sway/input/input-manager.h"
+#include "util.h"
+
+static struct cmd_results *handle_action(struct seat_config *sc,
+		struct sway_seat *seat, const char *action) {
+	struct sway_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor *sway_inhibitor = NULL;
+	if (strcmp(action, "disable") == 0) {
+		sc->shortcuts_inhibit = SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DISABLE;
+
+		wl_list_for_each(sway_inhibitor,
+				&seat->keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitors, link) {
+			wlr_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_v1_deactivate(
+					sway_inhibitor->inhibitor);
+		}
+
+		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Deactivated all keyboard shortcuts inhibitors");
+	} else {
+		sway_inhibitor = keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_get_for_focused_surface(seat);
+		if (!sway_inhibitor) {
+			return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
+					"No inhibitor found for focused surface");
+		}
+
+		struct wlr_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_v1 *inhibitor =
+			sway_inhibitor->inhibitor;
+		bool inhibit;
+		if (strcmp(action, "activate") == 0) {
+			inhibit = true;
+		} else if (strcmp(action, "deactivate") == 0) {
+			inhibit = false;
+		} else if (strcmp(action, "toggle") == 0) {
+			inhibit = !inhibitor->active;
+		} else {
+			return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "Expected enable|"
+					"disable|activate|deactivate|toggle");
+		}
+
+		if (inhibit) {
+			wlr_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_v1_activate(inhibitor);
+		} else {
+			wlr_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_v1_deactivate(inhibitor);
+		}
+
+		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "%sctivated keyboard shortcuts inhibitor",
+				inhibit ? "A" : "Dea");
+	}
+
+	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL);
+}
+
+// shortcuts_inhibitor [enable|disable|activate|deactivate|toggle]
+struct cmd_results *seat_cmd_shortcuts_inhibitor(int argc, char **argv) {
+	struct cmd_results *error =
+		checkarg(argc, "shortcuts_inhibitor", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1);
+	if (error) {
+		return error;
+	}
+
+	struct seat_config *sc = config->handler_context.seat_config;
+	if (!sc) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "No seat defined");
+	}
+
+	if (strcmp(argv[0], "enable") == 0) {
+		sc->shortcuts_inhibit = SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_ENABLE;
+	// at runtime disable is an action that also deactivates all active
+	// inhibitors handled in handle_action()
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "disable") == 0 && !config->active) {
+		sc->shortcuts_inhibit = SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DISABLE;
+	} else if (!config->active) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "only enable and disable "
+				"can be used in the config");
+	} else {
+		if (strcmp(sc->name, "*") != 0) {
+			struct sway_seat *seat = input_manager_get_seat(sc->name, false);
+			if (!seat) {
+				return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE,
+						"Seat %s does not exist", sc->name);
+			}
+			error = handle_action(sc, seat, argv[0]);
+		} else {
+			struct sway_seat *seat = NULL;
+			wl_list_for_each(seat, &server.input->seats, link) {
+				error = handle_action(sc, seat, argv[0]);
+				if (error && error->status != CMD_SUCCESS) {
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return error ? error : cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/sway/config/seat.c b/sway/config/seat.c
index 6c916727..e2702de5 100644
--- a/sway/config/seat.c
+++ b/sway/config/seat.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ struct seat_config *new_seat_config(const char* name) {
 	}
 	seat->hide_cursor_timeout = -1;
 	seat->allow_constrain = CONSTRAIN_DEFAULT;
+	seat->shortcuts_inhibit = SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DEFAULT;
 	seat->keyboard_grouping = KEYBOARD_GROUP_DEFAULT;
 	seat->xcursor_theme.name = NULL;
 	seat->xcursor_theme.size = 24;
@@ -154,6 +155,10 @@ void merge_seat_config(struct seat_config *dest, struct seat_config *source) {
 		dest->allow_constrain = source->allow_constrain;
 	}
 
+	if (source->shortcuts_inhibit != SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DEFAULT) {
+		dest->shortcuts_inhibit = source->shortcuts_inhibit;
+	}
+
 	if (source->keyboard_grouping != KEYBOARD_GROUP_DEFAULT) {
 		dest->keyboard_grouping = source->keyboard_grouping;
 	}
diff --git a/sway/input/input-manager.c b/sway/input/input-manager.c
index af0f5afa..124d57dc 100644
--- a/sway/input/input-manager.c
+++ b/sway/input/input-manager.c
@@ -333,6 +333,26 @@ static void handle_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibit_new_inhibitor(
 	struct sway_seat *seat = inhibitor->seat->data;
 	wl_list_insert(&seat->keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitors, &sway_inhibitor->link);
 
+	struct seat_config *config = seat_get_config(seat);
+	if (!config) {
+		config = seat_get_config_by_name("*");
+	}
+
+	if (config && config->shortcuts_inhibit == SHORTCUTS_INHIBIT_DISABLE) {
+		/**
+		 * Here we deny to honour the inhibitor by never sending the
+		 * activate signal. We can not, however, destroy the inhibitor
+		 * because the protocol doesn't allow for it. So it will linger
+		 * until the client removes it im- or explicitly. But at least
+		 * it can only be one inhibitor per surface and seat at a time.
+		 *
+		 * We also want to allow the user to activate the inhibitor
+		 * manually later which is why we do this check here where the
+		 * inhibitor is already attached to its seat and ready for use.
+		 */
+		return;
+	}
+
 	wlr_keyboard_shortcuts_inhibitor_v1_activate(inhibitor);
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/meson.build b/sway/meson.build
index 6fdc4a7d..8a549108 100644
--- a/sway/meson.build
+++ b/sway/meson.build
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ sway_sources = files(
 	'commands/seat/idle.c',
 	'commands/seat/keyboard_grouping.c',
 	'commands/seat/pointer_constraint.c',
+	'commands/seat/shortcuts_inhibitor.c',
 	'commands/seat/xcursor_theme.c',
 	'commands/set.c',
 	'commands/show_marks.c',
diff --git a/sway/sway-input.5.scd b/sway/sway-input.5.scd
index 9edd9381..c0584241 100644
--- a/sway/sway-input.5.scd
+++ b/sway/sway-input.5.scd
@@ -243,6 +243,25 @@ correct seat.
 	by default) for the seat. This is primarily useful for video games. The
 	"escape" command can be used at runtime to escape from a captured client.
 
+*seat* <name> shortcuts_inhibitor enable|disable|activate|deactivate|toggle
+	Enables or disables the ability of clients to inhibit keyboard
+	shortcuts for the seat. This is primarily useful for virtualization and
+	remote desktop software. Subcommands _enable_ and _disable_ affect
+	whether future inhibitors are honoured by default, i.e. activated
+	automatically, the default being _enable_. When used at runtime,
+	_disable_ also disables any currently active inhibitors. _activate_,
+	_deactivate_ and _toggle_ are only useable at runtime and change the
+	state of a potentially existing inhibitor on the currently focused
+	window. This can be used with the current seat alias (_-_) to affect
+	only the currently focused window of the current seat. Subcommand
+	_deactivate_ is particularly useful in an _--inhibited_ *bindsym* to
+	escape a state where shortcuts are inhibited and the client becomes
+	uncooperative. It is worth noting that whether disabled or deactivated
+	inhibitors are removed is entirely up to the client. Depending on the
+	client it may therefore be possible to (re-)activate them later. Any
+	visual indication that an inhibitor is present is currently left to the
+	client as well.
+
 *seat* <name> xcursor_theme <theme> [<size>]
 	Override the system default XCursor theme. The default seat's
 	(_seat0_) theme is also used as the default cursor theme in