diff --git a/src/osd/windows/window.c b/src/osd/windows/window.c
index 2fbacb8b780..1ffdc361f9a 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/window.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/window.c
@@ -601,13 +601,14 @@ void winwindow_update_cursor_state(running_machine &machine)
 
 	assert(GetCurrentThreadId() == main_threadid);
 
-	// if we should hide the mouse, then do it
+	// if we should hide the mouse cursor, then do it
 	// rules are:
 	//   1. we must have focus before hiding the cursor
 	//   2. we also hide the cursor in full screen mode and when the window doesn't have a menu
 	//   3. we also hide the cursor in windowed mode if we're not paused and
 	//      the input system requests it
-	if (winwindow_has_focus() && ((!video_config.windowed && !win_has_menu(win_window_list)) || (!machine.paused() && wininput_should_hide_mouse())))
+	if (downcast<windows_options &>(machine.options()).hide_cursor() &&
+		winwindow_has_focus() && ((!video_config.windowed && !win_has_menu(win_window_list)) || (!machine.paused() && wininput_should_hide_mouse())))
 	{
 		win_window_info *window = win_window_list;
 		RECT bounds;
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winmain.c b/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
index 953b2e5c9ba..3e43305d880 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winmain.c
@@ -428,6 +428,7 @@ const options_entry windows_options::s_option_entries[] =
 
 	// input options
 	{ NULL,                                           NULL,       OPTION_HEADER,     "INPUT DEVICE OPTIONS" },
+	{ WINOPTION_HIDE_CURSOR ";hc",                    "1",        OPTION_BOOLEAN,    "hide cursor in full screen or if mouse is enabled" },
 	{ WINOPTION_DUAL_LIGHTGUN ";dual",                "0",        OPTION_BOOLEAN,    "enable dual lightgun input" },
 
 	{ NULL }
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winmain.h b/src/osd/windows/winmain.h
index d8e54993df8..c1d36aefaba 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winmain.h
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winmain.h
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
 #define WINOPTION_AUDIO_LATENCY			"audio_latency"
 
 // input options
+#define WINOPTION_HIDE_CURSOR			"hide_cursor"
 #define WINOPTION_DUAL_LIGHTGUN			"dual_lightgun"
 
 
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ public:
 	int audio_latency() const { return int_value(WINOPTION_AUDIO_LATENCY); }
 
 	// input options
+	bool hide_cursor() const { return bool_value(WINOPTION_HIDE_CURSOR); }
 	bool dual_lightgun() const { return bool_value(WINOPTION_DUAL_LIGHTGUN); }
 
 private: