diff --git a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml
index 74c736b471..ee11551c5a 100644
--- a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@
             TintIntensity="{x:Bind ViewModel.BackgroundImageTintIntensity, Mode=OneWay}"
             Visibility="{x:Bind ViewModel.ShowBackgroundImage, Mode=OneWay}" />
 
-        <pages:ShellPage />
+        <pages:ShellPage HostWindow="{x:Bind}" />
     </Grid>
 </winuiex:WindowEx>
diff --git a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 10139a94d1..76d85794ba 100644
--- a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : WindowEx,
     IRecipient<ErrorOccurredMessage>,
     IRecipient<DragStartedMessage>,
     IRecipient<DragCompletedMessage>,
-    IDisposable
+    IDisposable,
+    IHostWindow
 {
     [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("StyleCop.CSharp.NamingRules", "SA1310:Field names should not contain underscore", Justification = "Stylistically, window messages are WM_")]
     [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("StyleCop.CSharp.NamingRules", "SA1306:Field names should begin with lower-case letter", Justification = "Stylistically, window messages are WM_")]
@@ -92,6 +93,8 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : WindowEx,
 
     private MainWindowViewModel ViewModel { get; }
 
+    public bool IsVisibleToUser { get; private set; } = true;
+
     public MainWindow()
     {
         InitializeComponent();
@@ -700,17 +703,14 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : WindowEx,
             {
                 Logger.LogWarning($"DWM cloaking of the main window failed. HRESULT: {hr.Value}.");
             }
+            else
+            {
+                IsVisibleToUser = false;
+            }
 
             wasCloaked = hr.Succeeded;
         }
 
-        if (wasCloaked)
-        {
-            // Because we're only cloaking the window, bury it at the bottom in case something can
-            // see it - e.g. some accessibility helper (note: this also removes the top-most status).
-            PInvoke.SetWindowPos(_hwnd, HWND.HWND_BOTTOM, 0, 0, 0, 0, SET_WINDOW_POS_FLAGS.SWP_NOMOVE | SET_WINDOW_POS_FLAGS.SWP_NOSIZE);
-        }
-
         return wasCloaked;
     }
 
@@ -720,6 +720,7 @@ public sealed partial class MainWindow : WindowEx,
         {
             BOOL value = false;
             PInvoke.DwmSetWindowAttribute(_hwnd, DWMWINDOWATTRIBUTE.DWMWA_CLOAK, &value, (uint)sizeof(BOOL));
+            IsVisibleToUser = true;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Pages/ShellPage.xaml.cs b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Pages/ShellPage.xaml.cs
index 9dd7b77b0e..210592c1ac 100644
--- a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Pages/ShellPage.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Pages/ShellPage.xaml.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ using Microsoft.CmdPal.Core.ViewModels.Messages;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Events;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Helpers;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Messages;
+using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Services;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Settings;
 using Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels;
 using Microsoft.CommandPalette.Extensions;
@@ -72,6 +73,8 @@ public sealed partial class ShellPage : Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Page,
 
     public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
 
+    public IHostWindow? HostWindow { get; set; }
+
     public ShellPage()
     {
         this.InitializeComponent();
@@ -435,7 +438,7 @@ public sealed partial class ShellPage : Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Page,
 
         if (!RootFrame.CanGoBack)
         {
-            ViewModel.GoHome();
+            ViewModel.GoHome(withAnimation, focusSearch);
         }
 
         if (focusSearch)
@@ -531,6 +534,11 @@ public sealed partial class ShellPage : Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Page,
 
         if (shouldSearchBoxBeVisible || page is not ContentPage)
         {
+            if (HostWindow?.IsVisibleToUser != true)
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
             ViewModel.IsSearchBoxVisible = shouldSearchBoxBeVisible;
             SearchBox.Focus(FocusState.Programmatic);
             SearchBox.SelectSearch();
@@ -547,6 +555,11 @@ public sealed partial class ShellPage : Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Page,
 
                     try
                     {
+                        if (HostWindow?.IsVisibleToUser != true)
+                        {
+                            return;
+                        }
+
                         await page.DispatcherQueue.EnqueueAsync(
                             async () =>
                             {
@@ -556,6 +569,11 @@ public sealed partial class ShellPage : Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Page,
                                 {
                                     token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
 
+                                    if (HostWindow?.IsVisibleToUser != true)
+                                    {
+                                        break;
+                                    }
+
                                     if (FocusManager.FindFirstFocusableElement(page) is FrameworkElement frameworkElement)
                                     {
                                         var set = frameworkElement.Focus(FocusState.Programmatic);
diff --git a/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Services/IHostWindow.cs b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Services/IHostWindow.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..59e5f8f95a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Services/IHostWindow.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation
+// The Microsoft Corporation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+// See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.
+
+namespace Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.Services;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents abstract host window functionality.
+/// </summary>
+public interface IHostWindow
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a value indicating whether the window is visible to the user, taking account not only window visibility but also cloaking.
+    /// </summary>
+    bool IsVisibleToUser { get; }
+}