diff --git a/client/displayservers/SDL/sdl.c b/client/displayservers/SDL/sdl.c
index 1b1434e1..37305773 100644
--- a/client/displayservers/SDL/sdl.c
+++ b/client/displayservers/SDL/sdl.c
@@ -535,6 +535,8 @@ struct LG_DisplayServerOps LGDS_SDL =
   .showPointer         = sdlShowPointer,
   .grabPointer         = sdlGrabPointer,
   .ungrabPointer       = sdlUngrabPointer,
+  .capturePointer      = sdlGrabPointer,
+  .uncapturePointer    = sdlUngrabPointer,
   .grabKeyboard        = sdlGrabKeyboard,
   .ungrabKeyboard      = sdlUngrabKeyboard,
   .warpPointer         = sdlWarpPointer,
diff --git a/client/displayservers/Wayland/input.c b/client/displayservers/Wayland/input.c
index bb3993c4..8146f6f0 100644
--- a/client/displayservers/Wayland/input.c
+++ b/client/displayservers/Wayland/input.c
@@ -357,6 +357,24 @@ void waylandUngrabPointer(void)
   }
 }
 
+void waylandCapturePointer(void)
+{
+  waylandGrabPointer();
+}
+
+void waylandUncapturePointer(void)
+{
+  /* we need to ungrab the pointer on the following conditions when exiting capture mode:
+   *   - if warp is not supported, exit via window edge detection will never work
+   *     as the cursor can not be warped out of the window when we release it.
+   *   - if the format is invalid as we do not know where the guest cursor is,
+   *     which also breaks edge detection.
+   *   - if the user has opted to use captureInputOnly mode.
+   */
+  if (!wlWm.warpSupport || !app_isFormatValid() || app_isCaptureOnlyMode())
+    waylandUngrabPointer();
+}
+
 void waylandGrabKeyboard(void)
 {
   if (wlWm.keyboardInhibitManager && !wlWm.keyboardInhibitor)
diff --git a/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.c b/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.c
index 00e55329..e4821293 100644
--- a/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.c
+++ b/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.c
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ struct LG_DisplayServerOps LGDS_Wayland =
   .showPointer         = waylandShowPointer,
   .grabPointer         = waylandGrabPointer,
   .ungrabPointer       = waylandUngrabPointer,
+  .capturePointer      = waylandCapturePointer,
+  .uncapturePointer    = waylandUncapturePointer,
   .grabKeyboard        = waylandGrabKeyboard,
   .ungrabKeyboard      = waylandUngrabKeyboard,
   .warpPointer         = waylandWarpPointer,
diff --git a/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.h b/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.h
index fdd9899f..4d149e53 100644
--- a/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.h
+++ b/client/displayservers/Wayland/wayland.h
@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ void waylandGrabKeyboard(void);
 void waylandGrabPointer(void);
 void waylandUngrabKeyboard(void);
 void waylandUngrabPointer(void);
+void waylandCapturePointer(void);
+void waylandUncapturePointer(void);
 void waylandRealignPointer(void);
 void waylandWarpPointer(int x, int y, bool exiting);
 void waylandGuestPointerUpdated(double x, double y, int localX, int localY);
diff --git a/client/displayservers/X11/x11.c b/client/displayservers/X11/x11.c
index 4a82641e..7792c7f2 100644
--- a/client/displayservers/X11/x11.c
+++ b/client/displayservers/X11/x11.c
@@ -1063,6 +1063,23 @@ static void x11UngrabPointer(void)
   x11.pointerGrabbed = false;
 }
 
+static void x11CapturePointer(void)
+{
+  x11GrabPointer();
+}
+
+static void x11UncapturePointer(void)
+{
+  /* we need to ungrab the pointer on the following conditions when exiting capture mode:
+   *   - if the format is invalid as we do not know where the guest cursor is,
+   *     which breaks edge detection as the cursor can not be warped out of the
+   *     window when we release it.
+   *   - if the user has opted to use captureInputOnly mode.
+   */
+  if (!app_isFormatValid() || app_isCaptureOnlyMode())
+    x11UngrabPointer();
+}
+
 static void x11GrabKeyboard(void)
 {
   if (x11.keyboardGrabbed)
@@ -1224,6 +1241,8 @@ struct LG_DisplayServerOps LGDS_X11 =
   .showPointer         = x11ShowPointer,
   .grabPointer         = x11GrabPointer,
   .ungrabPointer       = x11UngrabPointer,
+  .capturePointer      = x11CapturePointer,
+  .uncapturePointer    = x11UncapturePointer,
   .grabKeyboard        = x11GrabKeyboard,
   .ungrabKeyboard      = x11UngrabKeyboard,
   .warpPointer         = x11WarpPointer,
diff --git a/client/include/app.h b/client/include/app.h
index 4f806003..360382f3 100644
--- a/client/include/app.h
+++ b/client/include/app.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ LG_MsgAlert;
 bool app_isRunning(void);
 bool app_inputEnabled(void);
 bool app_isCaptureMode(void);
+bool app_isCaptureOnlyMode(void);
+bool app_isFormatValid(void);
 void app_updateCursorPos(double x, double y);
 void app_updateWindowPos(int x, int y);
 void app_handleResizeEvent(int w, int h, double scale, const struct Border border);
diff --git a/client/include/interface/displayserver.h b/client/include/interface/displayserver.h
index 17212b83..bc7b5119 100644
--- a/client/include/interface/displayserver.h
+++ b/client/include/interface/displayserver.h
@@ -131,10 +131,14 @@ struct LG_DisplayServerOps
   /* dm specific cursor implementations */
   void (*guestPointerUpdated)(double x, double y, int localX, int localY);
   void (*showPointer)(bool show);
-  void (*grabPointer)();
-  void (*ungrabPointer)();
   void (*grabKeyboard)();
   void (*ungrabKeyboard)();
+  /* (un)grabPointer is used to toggle cursor tracking/confine in normal mode */
+  void (*grabPointer)();
+  void (*ungrabPointer)();
+  /* (un)capturePointer is used do toggle special cursor tracking in capture mode */
+  void (*capturePointer)();
+  void (*uncapturePointer)();
 
   /* exiting = true if the warp is to leave the window */
   void (*warpPointer)(int x, int y, bool exiting);
@@ -199,6 +203,8 @@ struct LG_DisplayServerOps
   assert((x)->showPointer        ); \
   assert((x)->grabPointer        ); \
   assert((x)->ungrabPointer      ); \
+  assert((x)->capturePointer     ); \
+  assert((x)->uncapturePointer   ); \
   assert((x)->warpPointer        ); \
   assert((x)->realignPointer     ); \
   assert((x)->isValidPointerPos  ); \
diff --git a/client/src/app.c b/client/src/app.c
index fbf78f48..96e6a14e 100644
--- a/client/src/app.c
+++ b/client/src/app.c
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ bool app_isCaptureMode(void)
   return g_cursor.grab;
 }
 
+bool app_isCaptureOnlyMode(void)
+{
+  return g_params.captureInputOnly;
+}
+
+bool app_isFormatValid(void)
+{
+  return g_state.formatValid;
+}
+
 void app_updateCursorPos(double x, double y)
 {
   g_cursor.pos.x = x;
diff --git a/client/src/core.c b/client/src/core.c
index 8a83a65b..247029d2 100644
--- a/client/src/core.c
+++ b/client/src/core.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ void core_setGrabQuiet(bool enable)
     if (g_params.grabKeyboard)
       g_state.ds->grabKeyboard();
 
-    g_state.ds->grabPointer();
+    g_state.ds->capturePointer();
   }
   else
   {
@@ -134,17 +134,7 @@ void core_setGrabQuiet(bool enable)
         g_state.ds->ungrabKeyboard();
     }
 
-    /* we need to ungrab the pointer on the following conditions
-     *   - if the backend does not support warp as exit via window edge
-     *     detection will never work as the cursor can not be warped out of the
-     *     window when we release it.
-     *   - if the format is invalid as we do not know where the guest cursor is
-     *     which also breaks edge detection.
-     *   - if the user has opted to use captureInputOnly mode.
-     */
-    if (warpSupport == LG_DS_WARP_NONE || !g_state.formatValid ||
-        g_params.captureInputOnly)
-      g_state.ds->ungrabPointer();
+    g_state.ds->uncapturePointer();
 
     /* if exiting capture when input on capture only we need to align the local
      * cursor to the guest's location before it is shown. */