diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 0473b40..8f01192 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 /* appearance */
-static const int sloppyfocus        = 1;  /* focus follows mouse */
-static const unsigned int borderpx  = 1;  /* border pixel of windows */
-static const float rootcolor[]      = {0.3, 0.3, 0.3, 1.0};
-static const float bordercolor[]    = {0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1.0};
-static const float focuscolor[]     = {1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0};
+static const int sloppyfocus               = 1;  /* focus follows mouse */
+static const int bypass_surface_visibility = 0;  /* 1 means idle inhibitors will disable idle tracking even if it's surface isn't visible  */
+static const unsigned int borderpx         = 1;  /* border pixel of windows */
+static const float rootcolor[]             = {0.3, 0.3, 0.3, 1.0};
+static const float bordercolor[]           = {0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1.0};
+static const float focuscolor[]            = {1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0};
 /* To conform the xdg-protocol, set the alpha to zero to restore the old behavior */
-static const float fullscreen_bg[]  = {0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 1.0};
+static const float fullscreen_bg[]         = {0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 1.0};
 
 /* tagging */
 static const char *tags[] = { "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9" };
diff --git a/dwl.c b/dwl.c
index 4648890..f07a867 100644
--- a/dwl.c
+++ b/dwl.c
@@ -597,8 +597,9 @@ checkidleinhibitor(struct wlr_surface *exclude)
 	struct wlr_scene_tree *tree;
 	struct wlr_idle_inhibitor_v1 *inhibitor;
 	wl_list_for_each(inhibitor, &idle_inhibit_mgr->inhibitors, link) {
-		if (exclude != inhibitor->surface && (tree = inhibitor->surface->data)
-				&& tree->node.enabled) {
+		if (bypass_surface_visibility || (exclude != inhibitor->surface
+				&& (tree = inhibitor->surface->data)
+				&& tree->node.enabled)) {
 			inhibited = 1;
 			break;
 		}