diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.c b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.c
index 56a78c7fc3..533178086f 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.c
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.c
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ static void X11_DispatchUnmapNotify(SDL_WindowData *data)
     SDL_SendWindowEvent(data->window, SDL_EVENT_WINDOW_MINIMIZED, 0, 0);
 }
 
-static void InitiateWindowMove(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *data, const SDL_Point *point)
+static void DispatchWindowMove(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *data, const SDL_Point *point)
 {
     SDL_VideoData *viddata = _this->driverdata;
     SDL_Window *window = data->window;
@@ -531,6 +531,12 @@ static void InitiateWindowMove(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *dat
     X11_XSync(display, 0);
 }
 
+static void ScheduleWindowMove(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *data, const SDL_Point *point)
+{
+    data->pending_move = SDL_TRUE;
+    data->pending_move_point = *point;
+}
+
 static void InitiateWindowResize(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *data, const SDL_Point *point, int direction)
 {
     SDL_VideoData *viddata = _this->driverdata;
@@ -574,7 +580,7 @@ SDL_bool X11_ProcessHitTest(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *data, const
     return SDL_TRUE;
 }
 
-SDL_bool X11_TriggerHitTestAction(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *data, const float x, const float y)
+SDL_bool X11_TriggerHitTestAction(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *data, const float x, const float y)
 {
     SDL_Window *window = data->window;
 
@@ -589,7 +595,14 @@ SDL_bool X11_TriggerHitTestAction(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *
 
         switch (data->hit_test_result) {
         case SDL_HITTEST_DRAGGABLE:
-            InitiateWindowMove(_this, data, &point);
+            /* Some window managers get in a bad state when a move event starts while input is transitioning
+               to the SDL window. This can happen when clicking on a drag region of an unfocused window
+               where the same mouse down event will trigger a drag event and a window activate. */
+            if (data->window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS) {
+                DispatchWindowMove(_this, data, &point);
+            } else {
+                ScheduleWindowMove(_this, data, &point);
+            }
             return SDL_TRUE;
 
         case SDL_HITTEST_RESIZE_TOPLEFT:
@@ -1719,6 +1732,12 @@ static void X11_DispatchEvent(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, XEvent *xevent)
                         X11_XResizeWindow(display, data->xwindow, data->window->floating.w, data->window->floating.h);
                     }
                 }
+                if ((flags & SDL_WINDOW_INPUT_FOCUS)) {
+                    if (data->pending_move) {
+                        DispatchWindowMove(_this, data, &data->pending_move_point);
+                        data->pending_move = SDL_FALSE;
+                    }
+                }
             }
             if (changed & SDL_WINDOW_OCCLUDED) {
                 SDL_SendWindowEvent(data->window, (flags & SDL_WINDOW_OCCLUDED) ? SDL_EVENT_WINDOW_OCCLUDED : SDL_EVENT_WINDOW_EXPOSED, 0, 0);
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.h b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.h
index 4863a2435a..3e34064e05 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.h
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11events.h
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ extern void X11_HandleButtonPress(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *wdata,
 extern void X11_HandleButtonRelease(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *wdata, int button);
 extern SDL_WindowData *X11_FindWindow(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, Window window);
 extern SDL_bool X11_ProcessHitTest(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *data, const float x, const float y, SDL_bool force_new_result);
-extern SDL_bool X11_TriggerHitTestAction(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, const SDL_WindowData *data, const float x, const float y);
+extern SDL_bool X11_TriggerHitTestAction(SDL_VideoDevice *_this, SDL_WindowData *data, const float x, const float y);
 
 #endif /* SDL_x11events_h_ */
diff --git a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.h b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.h
index e0f7549b94..454e92a56a 100644
--- a/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.h
+++ b/src/video/x11/SDL_x11window.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ struct SDL_WindowData
     Uint64 last_focus_event_time;
     PendingFocusEnum pending_focus;
     Uint64 pending_focus_time;
+    SDL_bool pending_move;
+    SDL_Point pending_move_point;
     XConfigureEvent last_xconfigure;
     struct SDL_VideoData *videodata;
     unsigned long user_time;