diff --git a/pkg/gocui/gui.go b/pkg/gocui/gui.go
index ad8ba1e41..558b9d619 100644
--- a/pkg/gocui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gocui/gui.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ type replayedEvents struct {
 	Keys        chan *TcellKeyEventWrapper
 	Resizes     chan *TcellResizeEventWrapper
 	MouseEvents chan *TcellMouseEventWrapper
+	FocusEvents chan *TcellFocusEventWrapper
 }
 
 type RecordingConfig struct {
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ func NewGui(opts NewGuiOpts) (*Gui, error) {
 			Keys:        make(chan *TcellKeyEventWrapper),
 			Resizes:     make(chan *TcellResizeEventWrapper),
 			MouseEvents: make(chan *TcellMouseEventWrapper),
+			FocusEvents: make(chan *TcellFocusEventWrapper),
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/gocui/tcell_driver.go b/pkg/gocui/tcell_driver.go
index b2fd40c19..226ee0580 100644
--- a/pkg/gocui/tcell_driver.go
+++ b/pkg/gocui/tcell_driver.go
@@ -266,6 +266,22 @@ func (wrapper TcellResizeEventWrapper) toTcellEvent() tcell.Event {
 	return tcell.NewEventResize(wrapper.Width, wrapper.Height)
 }
 
+type TcellFocusEventWrapper struct {
+	Timestamp int64
+	Focused   bool
+}
+
+func NewTcellFocusEventWrapper(event *tcell.EventFocus, timestamp int64) *TcellFocusEventWrapper {
+	return &TcellFocusEventWrapper{
+		Timestamp: timestamp,
+		Focused:   event.Focused,
+	}
+}
+
+func (wrapper TcellFocusEventWrapper) toTcellEvent() tcell.Event {
+	return tcell.NewEventFocus(wrapper.Focused)
+}
+
 // pollEvent get tcell.Event and transform it into gocuiEvent
 func (g *Gui) pollEvent() GocuiEvent {
 	var tev tcell.Event
@@ -277,6 +293,8 @@ func (g *Gui) pollEvent() GocuiEvent {
 			tev = (ev).toTcellEvent()
 		case ev := <-g.ReplayedEvents.MouseEvents:
 			tev = (ev).toTcellEvent()
+		case ev := <-g.ReplayedEvents.FocusEvents:
+			tev = (ev).toTcellEvent()
 		}
 	} else {
 		tev = <-Screen.EventQ()
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui_driver.go b/pkg/gui/gui_driver.go
index 08f3ecf62..632e271c3 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui_driver.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui_driver.go
@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ func (self *GuiDriver) Click(x, y int) {
 	self.waitTillIdle()
 }
 
+// FocusIn simulates the terminal window regaining focus, which is how lazygit
+// learns to reload changed config files. Tests use it to exercise the live
+// config-reload path.
+func (self *GuiDriver) FocusIn() {
+	self.gui.g.ReplayedEvents.FocusEvents <- gocui.NewTcellFocusEventWrapper(
+		tcell.NewEventFocus(true),
+		0,
+	)
+
+	self.waitTillIdle()
+}
+
 // wait until lazygit is idle (i.e. all processing is done) before continuing
 func (self *GuiDriver) waitTillIdle() {
 	<-self.isIdleChan
diff --git a/pkg/integration/components/test_driver.go b/pkg/integration/components/test_driver.go
index 8294f3b46..301ab3862 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/components/test_driver.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/components/test_driver.go
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ func (self *TestDriver) GlobalPress(key config.Keybinding) {
 	self.press(key[0])
 }
 
+// FocusIn simulates the terminal window regaining focus, which causes lazygit
+// to reload any config files that changed while it was in the background.
+func (self *TestDriver) FocusIn() {
+	self.SetCaption("Focusing window")
+	self.gui.FocusIn()
+	self.Wait(self.inputDelay)
+}
+
 func (self *TestDriver) typeContent(content string) {
 	for _, char := range content {
 		self.pressFast(string(char))
diff --git a/pkg/integration/components/test_test.go b/pkg/integration/components/test_test.go
index ab32f9f89..b00a2a672 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/components/test_test.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/components/test_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ func (self *fakeGuiDriver) Click(x, y int) {
 	self.clickedCoordinates = append(self.clickedCoordinates, coordinate{x: x, y: y})
 }
 
+func (self *fakeGuiDriver) FocusIn() {
+}
+
 func (self *fakeGuiDriver) Keys() config.KeybindingConfig {
 	return config.KeybindingConfig{}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/integration/types/types.go b/pkg/integration/types/types.go
index 752639058..3d87e7d6e 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/types/types.go
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ type IntegrationTest interface {
 type GuiDriver interface {
 	PressKey(string)
 	Click(int, int)
+	// Simulate the terminal window regaining focus (which triggers a reload of
+	// changed config files)
+	FocusIn()
 	Keys() config.KeybindingConfig
 	CurrentContext() types.Context
 	ContextForView(viewName string) types.Context