diff --git a/include/sway/container.h b/include/sway/container.h
index ff65628cf..469255892 100644
--- a/include/sway/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/container.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ struct sway_container {
 	// Attributes that mostly views have.
 	char *name;
 	char *class;
+	char *instance;
 	char *app_id;
 
 	// Used by output containers to keep track of swaybg child processes.
diff --git a/sway/container.c b/sway/container.c
index cf7d7dda8..11dcdb7f3 100644
--- a/sway/container.c
+++ b/sway/container.c
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ static void free_swayc(swayc_t *cont) {
 	if (cont->class) {
 		free(cont->class);
 	}
+	if (cont->instance) {
+		free(cont->instance);
+	}
 	if (cont->app_id) {
 		free(cont->app_id);
 	}
@@ -295,6 +298,8 @@ swayc_t *new_view(swayc_t *sibling, wlc_handle handle) {
 	view->name = title ? strdup(title) : NULL;
 	const char *class = wlc_view_get_class(handle);
 	view->class = class ? strdup(class) : NULL;
+	const char *instance = wlc_view_get_instance(handle);
+	view->instance = instance ? strdup(instance) : NULL;
 	const char *app_id = wlc_view_get_app_id(handle);
 	view->app_id = app_id ? strdup(app_id) : NULL;
 	view->visible = true;
@@ -333,6 +338,8 @@ swayc_t *new_floating_view(wlc_handle handle) {
 	view->name = title ? strdup(title) : NULL;
 	const char *class = wlc_view_get_class(handle);
 	view->class = class ? strdup(class) : NULL;
+	const char *instance = wlc_view_get_instance(handle);
+	view->instance = instance ? strdup(instance) : NULL;
 	const char *app_id = wlc_view_get_app_id(handle);
 	view->app_id = app_id ? strdup(app_id) : NULL;
 	view->visible = true;
diff --git a/sway/criteria.c b/sway/criteria.c
index 739a183e8..fd1ea64b8 100644
--- a/sway/criteria.c
+++ b/sway/criteria.c
@@ -173,9 +173,8 @@ static char *parse_criteria_name(enum criteria_type *type, char *name) {
 		char *error = malloc(len);
 		snprintf(error, len, fmt, name);
 		return error;
-	} else if (*type == CRIT_INSTANCE || *type == CRIT_URGENT ||
-			*type == CRIT_WINDOW_ROLE || *type == CRIT_WINDOW_TYPE) {
-
+	} else if (*type == CRIT_URGENT || *type == CRIT_WINDOW_ROLE ||
+			*type == CRIT_WINDOW_TYPE) {
 		// (we're just being helpful here)
 		const char *fmt = "\"%s\" criteria currently unsupported, "
 			"no window will match this";
@@ -267,6 +266,16 @@ static bool criteria_test(swayc_t *cont, list_t *tokens) {
 			}
 			break;
 		case CRIT_INSTANCE:
+			if (!cont->instance) {
+				// ignore
+			} else if (strcmp(crit->raw, "focused") == 0) {
+				swayc_t *focused = get_focused_view(&root_container);
+				if (focused->instance && strcmp(cont->instance, focused->instance) == 0) {
+					matches++;
+				}
+			} else if (crit->regex && regexec(crit->regex, cont->instance, 0, NULL, 0) == 0) {
+				matches++;
+			}
 			break;
 		case CRIT_TITLE:
 			if (!cont->name) {
diff --git a/sway/ipc-json.c b/sway/ipc-json.c
index 876fc87c9..6bd5204c7 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-json.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-json.c
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ static void ipc_json_describe_view(swayc_t *c, json_object *object) {
 	json_object_object_add(object, "window", json_object_new_int(c->handle)); // for the sake of i3 compat
 	json_object_object_add(props, "class", c->class ? json_object_new_string(c->class) :
 		c->app_id ? json_object_new_string(c->app_id) : NULL);
+	json_object_object_add(props, "instance", c->instance ? json_object_new_string(c->instance) :
+		c->app_id ? json_object_new_string(c->app_id) : NULL);
 	json_object_object_add(props, "title", (c->name) ? json_object_new_string(c->name) : NULL);
 	json_object_object_add(props, "transient_for", parent ? json_object_new_int(parent) : NULL);
 	json_object_object_add(object, "window_properties", props);