diff --git a/.github/actions/spelling/allow/allow.txt b/.github/actions/spelling/allow/allow.txt
index 60b57274c84..43f6b97325d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/spelling/allow/allow.txt
+++ b/.github/actions/spelling/allow/allow.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ inlined
 It'd
 kje
 libfuzzer
+libuv
 liga
 lje
 Llast
diff --git a/src/terminal/adapter/ut_adapter/inputTest.cpp b/src/terminal/adapter/ut_adapter/inputTest.cpp
index 070e2f5d053..ace7de68019 100644
--- a/src/terminal/adapter/ut_adapter/inputTest.cpp
+++ b/src/terminal/adapter/ut_adapter/inputTest.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class Microsoft::Console::VirtualTerminal::InputTest
     static void s_TerminalInputTestNullCallback(_In_ std::deque<std::unique_ptr<IInputEvent>>& inEvents);
 
     TEST_METHOD(TerminalInputTests);
+    TEST_METHOD(TestFocusEvents);
     TEST_METHOD(TerminalInputModifierKeyTests);
     TEST_METHOD(TerminalInputNullKeyTests);
     TEST_METHOD(DifferentModifiersTest);
@@ -300,10 +301,62 @@ void InputTest::TerminalInputTests()
     inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irUnhandled);
     VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify MENU_EVENT was NOT handled.");
 
-    Log::Comment(L"Testing FOCUS_EVENT");
-    irUnhandled.EventType = FOCUS_EVENT;
-    inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irUnhandled);
-    VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FOCUS_EVENT was NOT handled.");
+    // Testing FOCUS_EVENTs is handled by TestFocusEvents
+}
+
+void InputTest::TestFocusEvents()
+{
+    // GH#12900, #13238
+    // Focus events that come in from the API should never be translated to VT sequences.
+    // We're relying on the fact that the INPUT_RECORD version of the ctor is only called by the API
+    const auto pInput = new TerminalInput(s_TerminalInputTestCallback);
+
+    INPUT_RECORD irTest = { 0 };
+    irTest.EventType = FOCUS_EVENT;
+
+    {
+        irTest.Event.FocusEvent.bSetFocus = false;
+        auto inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irTest);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FOCUS_EVENT from API was NOT handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        irTest.Event.FocusEvent.bSetFocus = true;
+        auto inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irTest);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FOCUS_EVENT from API was NOT handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        auto inputEvent = std::make_unique<FocusEvent>(false);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FocusEvent from any other source was NOT handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        auto inputEvent = std::make_unique<FocusEvent>(true);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FocusEvent from any other source was NOT handled.");
+    }
+
+    Log::Comment(L"Enable focus event handling");
+
+    pInput->SetInputMode(TerminalInput::Mode::FocusEvent, true);
+
+    {
+        irTest.Event.FocusEvent.bSetFocus = false;
+        auto inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irTest);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FOCUS_EVENT from API was NOT handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        irTest.Event.FocusEvent.bSetFocus = true;
+        auto inputEvent = IInputEvent::Create(irTest);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(false, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FOCUS_EVENT from API was NOT handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        s_expectedInput = L"\x1b[O";
+        auto inputEvent = std::make_unique<FocusEvent>(false);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(true, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FocusEvent from any other source was handled.");
+    }
+    {
+        s_expectedInput = L"\x1b[I";
+        auto inputEvent = std::make_unique<FocusEvent>(true);
+        VERIFY_ARE_EQUAL(true, pInput->HandleKey(inputEvent.get()), L"Verify FocusEvent from any other source was handled.");
+    }
 }
 
 void InputTest::TerminalInputModifierKeyTests()
diff --git a/src/terminal/input/terminalInput.cpp b/src/terminal/input/terminalInput.cpp
index d06a5e0e0b0..79b5ef74f5f 100644
--- a/src/terminal/input/terminalInput.cpp
+++ b/src/terminal/input/terminalInput.cpp
@@ -527,6 +527,14 @@ bool TerminalInput::HandleKey(const IInputEvent* const pInEvent)
     if (pInEvent->EventType() == InputEventType::FocusEvent)
     {
         const auto& focusEvent = *static_cast<const FocusEvent* const>(pInEvent);
+
+        // BODGY
+        // GH#13238 - Filter out focus events that came from the API.
+        if (focusEvent.CameFromApi())
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         return HandleFocus(focusEvent.GetFocus());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/types/FocusEvent.cpp b/src/types/FocusEvent.cpp
index d850fff50fd..1b194842a5f 100644
--- a/src/types/FocusEvent.cpp
+++ b/src/types/FocusEvent.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 // Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
 // Licensed under the MIT license.
+//
+// BODGY: GH#13238
+//
+// It appears that some applications (libuv) like to send a FOCUS_EVENT_RECORD
+// as a way to jiggle the input handle. Focus events really shouldn't ever be
+// sent via the API, they don't really do anything internally. However, focus
+// events in the input buffer do get translated by the TerminalInput to VT
+// sequences if we're in the right input mode.
+//
+// To not prevent libuv from jiggling the handle with a focus event, and also
+// make sure that we don't erroneously translate that to a sequence of
+// characters, we're going to filter out focus events that came from the API
+// when translating to VT.
 
 #include "precomp.h"
 #include "inc/IInputEvent.hpp"
diff --git a/src/types/inc/IInputEvent.hpp b/src/types/inc/IInputEvent.hpp
index d98f176795a..74258454836 100644
--- a/src/types/inc/IInputEvent.hpp
+++ b/src/types/inc/IInputEvent.hpp
@@ -514,12 +514,14 @@ class FocusEvent : public IInputEvent
 {
 public:
     constexpr FocusEvent(const FOCUS_EVENT_RECORD& record) :
-        _focus{ !!record.bSetFocus }
+        _focus{ !!record.bSetFocus },
+        _cameFromApi{ true }
     {
     }
 
     constexpr FocusEvent(const bool focus) :
-        _focus{ focus }
+        _focus{ focus },
+        _cameFromApi{ false }
     {
     }
 
@@ -539,8 +541,15 @@ class FocusEvent : public IInputEvent
 
     void SetFocus(const bool focus) noexcept;
 
+    // BODGY - see FocusEvent.cpp for details.
+    constexpr bool CameFromApi() const noexcept
+    {
+        return _cameFromApi;
+    }
+
 private:
     bool _focus;
+    bool _cameFromApi;
 
 #ifdef UNIT_TESTING
     friend std::wostream& operator<<(std::wostream& stream, const FocusEvent* const pFocusEvent);