diff --git a/Editor/Editor.cpp b/Editor/Editor.cpp
index 4fccb54bb..aaa112362 100644
--- a/Editor/Editor.cpp
+++ b/Editor/Editor.cpp
@@ -545,7 +545,6 @@ void EditorComponent::Load()
 	newEntityCombo.SetDropArrowEnabled(false);
 	newEntityCombo.SetFixedDropWidth(200);
 	newEntityCombo.SetMaxVisibleItemCount(16);
-	newEntityCombo.SetAngularHighlightWidth(3);
 	newEntityCombo.AddItem("Transform " ICON_TRANSFORM, NEW_TRANSFORM);
 	newEntityCombo.AddItem("Material " ICON_MATERIAL, NEW_MATERIAL);
 	newEntityCombo.AddItem("Point Light " ICON_POINTLIGHT, NEW_POINTLIGHT);
diff --git a/Editor/GeneralWindow.cpp b/Editor/GeneralWindow.cpp
index 6d95aa7ed..3f3958f14 100644
--- a/Editor/GeneralWindow.cpp
+++ b/Editor/GeneralWindow.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,20 @@ void GeneralWindow::Create(EditorComponent* _editor)
 	forceDiffuseLightingCheckBox.SetCheck(wi::renderer::IsForceDiffuseLighting());
 	AddWidget(&forceDiffuseLightingCheckBox);
 
-
+	focusModeCheckBox.Create(ICON_EYE " Focus mode GUI: ");
+	focusModeCheckBox.SetCheckText(ICON_EYE);
+	focusModeCheckBox.SetTooltip("Reduce the amount of effects in the editor GUI to improve accessibility");
+	if (editor->main->config.GetSection("options").Has("focus_mode"))
+	{
+		focusModeCheckBox.SetCheck(editor->main->config.GetSection("options").GetBool("focus_mode"));
+	}
+	focusModeCheckBox.OnClick([&](wi::gui::EventArgs args) {
+		editor->main->config.GetSection("options").Set("focus_mode", args.bValue);
+		// trigger themeCombo's OnSelect handler, which will enable/disable shadow highlighting
+		// according to this checkbox's state
+		themeCombo.SetSelected(themeCombo.GetSelected());
+	});
+	AddWidget(&focusModeCheckBox);
 
 	versionCheckBox.Create("Version: ");
 	versionCheckBox.SetTooltip("Toggle the engine version display text in top left corner.");
@@ -385,7 +398,7 @@ void GeneralWindow::Create(EditorComponent* _editor)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		theme.shadow_highlight = true;
+		theme.shadow_highlight = !focusModeCheckBox.GetCheck();
 		theme.shadow_highlight_spread = 0.6f;
 		theme.shadow_highlight_color = theme_color_focus;
 		theme.shadow_highlight_color.x *= 1.4f;
@@ -777,6 +790,16 @@ void GeneralWindow::Create(EditorComponent* _editor)
 			sprite.params.corners_rounding[3].radius = 10;
 		}
 
+		if (focusModeCheckBox.GetCheck())
+		{
+			editor->newEntityCombo.SetAngularHighlightWidth(0);
+			editor->newEntityCombo.SetShadowRadius(2);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			editor->newEntityCombo.SetAngularHighlightWidth(3);
+			editor->newEntityCombo.SetShadowRadius(0);
+		}
 	});
 	AddWidget(&themeCombo);
 
@@ -993,6 +1016,9 @@ void GeneralWindow::ResizeLayout()
 	add_right(freezeCullingCameraCheckBox);
 	add_right(disableAlbedoMapsCheckBox);
 	add_right(forceDiffuseLightingCheckBox);
+	y += jump;
+
+	add_right(focusModeCheckBox);
 
 	y += jump;
 
diff --git a/Editor/GeneralWindow.h b/Editor/GeneralWindow.h
index 25cf045c0..33da1b5f9 100644
--- a/Editor/GeneralWindow.h
+++ b/Editor/GeneralWindow.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public:
 	wi::gui::CheckBox freezeCullingCameraCheckBox;
 	wi::gui::CheckBox disableAlbedoMapsCheckBox;
 	wi::gui::CheckBox forceDiffuseLightingCheckBox;
+	wi::gui::CheckBox focusModeCheckBox;
 
 	wi::gui::Slider transformToolOpacitySlider;
 	wi::gui::Slider bonePickerOpacitySlider;
diff --git a/Editor/IconDefinitions.h b/Editor/IconDefinitions.h
index 23339198d..a79d95497 100644
--- a/Editor/IconDefinitions.h
+++ b/Editor/IconDefinitions.h
@@ -96,3 +96,5 @@
 #define ICON_CAMERAOPTIONS		ICON_CAMERA
 #define ICON_MATERIALBROWSER	ICON_MATERIAL
 #define ICON_PAINTTOOL			ICON_FA_PAINTBRUSH
+
+#define ICON_EYE				ICON_FA_EYE
diff --git a/WickedEngine/wiGUI.cpp b/WickedEngine/wiGUI.cpp
index db08a5ad3..3a3d42ca7 100644
--- a/WickedEngine/wiGUI.cpp
+++ b/WickedEngine/wiGUI.cpp
@@ -339,7 +339,6 @@ namespace wi::gui
 
 		sprites[state].Update(dt);
 		font.Update(dt);
-
 		angular_highlight_timer += dt;
 	}
 	void Widget::Render(const wi::Canvas& canvas, wi::graphics::CommandList cmd) const
@@ -993,6 +992,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -1399,6 +1402,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -1701,6 +1708,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -2065,6 +2076,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -2243,6 +2258,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -2604,6 +2623,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -3608,6 +3631,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}
 
@@ -5245,6 +5272,10 @@ namespace wi::gui
 				fx.highlight_color = shadow_highlight_color;
 				fx.highlight_spread = shadow_highlight_spread;
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				fx.disableHighlight();
+			}
 			wi::image::Draw(nullptr, fx, cmd);
 		}