diff --git a/src/dialog/cocoa/SDL_cocoadialog.m b/src/dialog/cocoa/SDL_cocoadialog.m
index 64b2fdf978..bc806f52a8 100644
--- a/src/dialog/cocoa/SDL_cocoadialog.m
+++ b/src/dialog/cocoa/SDL_cocoadialog.m
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
 #import <UniformTypeIdentifiers/UTType.h>
 
+extern void Cocoa_SetWindowHasModalDialog(SDL_Window *window, bool has_modal);
+
 static void AddFileExtensionType(NSMutableArray *types, const char *pattern_ptr)
 {
     if (!*pattern_ptr) {
@@ -163,6 +165,9 @@ void SDL_SYS_ShowFileDialogWithProperties(SDL_FileDialogType type, SDL_DialogFil
 
     if (window) {
         w = (__bridge NSWindow *)SDL_GetPointerProperty(SDL_GetWindowProperties(window), SDL_PROP_WINDOW_COCOA_WINDOW_POINTER, NULL);
+        if (w) {
+            Cocoa_SetWindowHasModalDialog(window, true);
+        }
     }
 
     if (w) {
@@ -186,6 +191,7 @@ void SDL_SYS_ShowFileDialogWithProperties(SDL_FileDialogType type, SDL_DialogFil
                 callback(userdata, files, -1);
             }
 
+            Cocoa_SetWindowHasModalDialog(window, false);
             ReactivateAfterDialog();
         }];
     } else {
@@ -206,6 +212,7 @@ void SDL_SYS_ShowFileDialogWithProperties(SDL_FileDialogType type, SDL_DialogFil
             const char *files[1] = { NULL };
             callback(userdata, files, -1);
         }
+
         ReactivateAfterDialog();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 35c578ddfe..fdfe239c8c 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -171,9 +171,10 @@ static VideoBootStrap *bootstrap[] = {
     }
 
 #if defined(SDL_PLATFORM_MACOS) && defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_COCOA)
-// Support for macOS fullscreen spaces
+// Support for macOS fullscreen spaces, etc.
 extern bool Cocoa_IsWindowInFullscreenSpace(SDL_Window *window);
 extern bool Cocoa_SetWindowFullscreenSpace(SDL_Window *window, bool state, bool blocking);
+extern bool Cocoa_IsShowingModalDialog(SDL_Window *window);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_UIKIT
@@ -4171,7 +4172,9 @@ static bool SDL_ShouldMinimizeOnFocusLoss(SDL_Window *window)
 
 #if defined(SDL_PLATFORM_MACOS) && defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_COCOA)
     if (SDL_strcmp(_this->name, "cocoa") == 0) { // don't do this for X11, etc
-        if (Cocoa_IsWindowInFullscreenSpace(window)) {
+        if (Cocoa_IsShowingModalDialog(window)) {
+            return false;  // modal system dialogs can live over fullscreen windows, don't minimize.
+        } else if (Cocoa_IsWindowInFullscreenSpace(window)) {
             return false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.h b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.h
index 67f1519eec..e4ab6efed4 100644
--- a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.h
+++ b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.h
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ typedef enum
 @property(nonatomic) bool pending_size;
 @property(nonatomic) bool pending_position;
 @property(nonatomic) bool border_toggled;
+@property(nonatomic) bool has_modal_dialog;
 
 #ifdef SDL_VIDEO_OPENGL_EGL
 @property(nonatomic) EGLSurface egl_surface;
diff --git a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
index d9c70f2cfe..c34db72d71 100644
--- a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
+++ b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
@@ -432,6 +432,18 @@ bool Cocoa_IsWindowZoomed(SDL_Window *window)
     return zoomed;
 }
 
+bool Cocoa_IsShowingModalDialog(SDL_Window *window)
+{
+    SDL_CocoaWindowData *data = (__bridge SDL_CocoaWindowData *)window->internal;
+    return data.has_modal_dialog;
+}
+
+void Cocoa_SetWindowHasModalDialog(SDL_Window *window, bool has_modal)
+{
+    SDL_CocoaWindowData *data = (__bridge SDL_CocoaWindowData *)window->internal;
+    data.has_modal_dialog = has_modal;
+}
+
 typedef enum CocoaMenuVisibility
 {
     COCOA_MENU_VISIBILITY_AUTO = 0,