diff --git a/src/client/cl_main.c b/src/client/cl_main.c
index 9cdd3eb3..bc16b217 100644
--- a/src/client/cl_main.c
+++ b/src/client/cl_main.c
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ cvar_t *r_allowSoftwareGL;	// don't abort out if the pixelformat claims software
 cvar_t *r_swapInterval;
 #ifndef USE_SDL
 cvar_t *r_glDriver;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+cvar_t *r_allowScreenSaver;
+#endif
 #else
 cvar_t *r_sdlDriver;
+cvar_t *r_allowScreenSaver;
 #endif
 cvar_t *r_displayRefresh;
 cvar_t *r_fullscreen;
@@ -4306,9 +4310,15 @@ static void CL_InitGLimp_Cvars( void )
 #ifndef USE_SDL
 	r_glDriver = Cvar_Get( "r_glDriver", OPENGL_DRIVER_NAME, CVAR_ARCHIVE_ND | CVAR_LATCH | CVAR_UNSAFE );
 	Cvar_SetDescription( r_glDriver, "Specifies the OpenGL driver to use, will revert back to default if driver name set is invalid" );
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	r_allowScreenSaver = Cvar_Get( "r_allowScreenSaver", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE_ND | CVAR_UNSAFE );
+	Cvar_SetDescription( r_allowScreenSaver, "Allow screen to sleep while the game is running" );
+#endif
 #else
 	r_sdlDriver = Cvar_Get( "r_sdlDriver", "", CVAR_ARCHIVE_ND | CVAR_LATCH | CVAR_UNSAFE );
 	Cvar_SetDescription( r_sdlDriver, "Override hint to SDL which video driver to use, example \"x11\" or \"wayland\"" );
+	r_allowScreenSaver = Cvar_Get( "r_allowScreenSaver", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE_ND | CVAR_LATCH | CVAR_UNSAFE );
+	Cvar_SetDescription( r_allowScreenSaver, "Allow screen to sleep while the game is running, requires full restart" );
 #endif
 
 	r_displayRefresh = Cvar_Get( "r_displayRefresh", "0", CVAR_LATCH | CVAR_UNSAFE );
diff --git a/src/client/client.h b/src/client/client.h
index 8478b2e1..c002b03c 100644
--- a/src/client/client.h
+++ b/src/client/client.h
@@ -520,8 +520,12 @@ extern	cvar_t	*r_allowSoftwareGL;
 extern	cvar_t	*r_swapInterval;
 #ifndef USE_SDL
 extern	cvar_t	*r_glDriver;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+extern	cvar_t  *r_allowScreenSaver;
+#endif
 #else
 extern	cvar_t	*r_sdlDriver;
+extern	cvar_t	*r_allowScreenSaver;
 #endif
 extern	cvar_t	*r_displayRefresh;
 extern	cvar_t	*r_fullscreen;
diff --git a/src/sdl/sdl_glimp.c b/src/sdl/sdl_glimp.c
index a213208b..aadc5297 100644
--- a/src/sdl/sdl_glimp.c
+++ b/src/sdl/sdl_glimp.c
@@ -560,6 +560,11 @@ static rserr_t GLimp_StartDriverAndSetMode( int mode, const char *modeFS, qboole
 			SDL_setenv("SDL_VIDEODRIVER", r_sdlDriver->string, 0 );
 		}
 
+		if ( r_allowScreenSaver->integer )
+		{
+			SDL_SetHint( SDL_HINT_VIDEO_ALLOW_SCREENSAVER, "1" );
+		}
+
 		/*
 			Starting from SDL2 2.0.14 The default value for SDL_HINT_VIDEO_MINIMIZE_ON_FOCUS_LOSS 
 			is now false for better compatibility with modern window managers, however it 
diff --git a/src/win32/win_wndproc.c b/src/win32/win_wndproc.c
index aad2bbd0..938d4eb1 100644
--- a/src/win32/win_wndproc.c
+++ b/src/win32/win_wndproc.c
@@ -990,7 +990,13 @@ LRESULT WINAPI MainWndProc( HWND hWnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM  wParam, LPARAM lParam
 			return 0;
 
 		if ( wParam == SC_SCREENSAVE || wParam == SC_MONITORPOWER )
+		{
+			if ( Cvar_VariableIntegerValue("r_allowScreenSaver") )
+			{
+				break;
+			}
 			return 0;
+		}
 
 		if ( wParam == SC_MINIMIZE && CL_VideoRecording() != AVIDEMO_NONE && !( re.CanMinimize && re.CanMinimize() ) )
 			return 0;