diff --git a/runtime/doc/lua.txt b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
index c580c55a5e..2dcf915428 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/lua.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
@@ -1031,16 +1031,13 @@ vim.stricmp({a}, {b})                                          *vim.stricmp()*
         (`0|1|-1`) if strings are equal, {a} is greater than {b} or {a} is
         lesser than {b}, respectively.
 
-vim.ui_attach({ns}, {options}, {callback})                   *vim.ui_attach()*
+vim.ui_attach({ns}, {opts}, {callback})                      *vim.ui_attach()*
     WARNING: This feature is experimental/unstable.
 
     Subscribe to |ui-events|, similar to |nvim_ui_attach()| but receive events
     in a Lua callback. Used to implement screen elements like popupmenu or
     message handling in Lua.
 
-    {options} is a dict with one or more `ext_…` |ui-option|s set to true to
-    enable events for the respective UI element.
-
     {callback} receives event name plus additional parameters. See
     |ui-popupmenu| and the sections below for event format for respective
     events.
@@ -1073,16 +1070,21 @@ vim.ui_attach({ns}, {options}, {callback})                   *vim.ui_attach()*
 <
 
     Parameters: ~
-      • {ns}        (`integer`)
-      • {options}   (`table<string, any>`)
-      • {callback}  (`fun()`)
+      • {ns}        (`integer`) Namespace ID
+      • {opts}      (`table<string, any>`) Optional parameters.
+                    • {ext_…}? (`boolean`) Any of |ui-ext-options|, if true
+                      enable events for the respective UI element.
+                    • {set_cmdheight}? (`boolean`) If false, avoid setting
+                      'cmdheight' to 0 when `ext_messages` is enabled.
+      • {callback}  (`fun(event: string, ...)`) Function called for each UI
+                    event
 
 vim.ui_detach({ns})                                          *vim.ui_detach()*
     Detach a callback previously attached with |vim.ui_attach()| for the given
     namespace {ns}.
 
     Parameters: ~
-      • {ns}  (`integer`)
+      • {ns}  (`integer`) Namespace ID
 
 vim.wait({time}, {callback}, {interval}, {fast_only})             *vim.wait()*
     Wait for {time} in milliseconds until {callback} returns `true`.
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/builtin.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/builtin.lua
index 2d5975b977..ef7ec0bee3 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/builtin.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/_meta/builtin.lua
@@ -226,9 +226,6 @@ function vim.wait(time, callback, interval, fast_only) end
 --- Subscribe to |ui-events|, similar to |nvim_ui_attach()| but receive events in a Lua callback.
 --- Used to implement screen elements like popupmenu or message handling in Lua.
 ---
---- {options} is a dict with one or more `ext_…` |ui-option|s set to true to enable events for
---- the respective UI element.
----
 --- {callback} receives event name plus additional parameters. See |ui-popupmenu|
 --- and the sections below for event format for respective events.
 ---
@@ -263,12 +260,16 @@ function vim.wait(time, callback, interval, fast_only) end
 ---
 --- @since 0
 ---
---- @param ns integer
---- @param options table<string, any>
---- @param callback fun()
-function vim.ui_attach(ns, options, callback) end
+--- @param ns integer Namespace ID
+--- @param opts table<string, any> Optional parameters.
+---             - {ext_…}? (`boolean`) Any of |ui-ext-options|, if true
+---               enable events for the respective UI element.
+---             - {set_cmdheight}? (`boolean`) If false, avoid setting
+---               'cmdheight' to 0 when `ext_messages` is enabled.
+--- @param callback fun(event: string, ...) Function called for each UI event
+function vim.ui_attach(ns, opts, callback) end
 
 --- Detach a callback previously attached with |vim.ui_attach()| for the
 --- given namespace {ns}.
---- @param ns integer
+--- @param ns integer Namespace ID
 function vim.ui_detach(ns) end
diff --git a/src/nvim/lua/executor.c b/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
index 5dac24fbc0..8018d15bc8 100644
--- a/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
+++ b/src/nvim/lua/executor.c
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ static int nlua_ui_attach(lua_State *lstate)
     return luaL_error(lstate, "invalid ns_id");
   }
   if (!lua_istable(lstate, 2)) {
-    return luaL_error(lstate, "ext_widgets must be a table");
+    return luaL_error(lstate, "opts must be a table");
   }
   if (!lua_isfunction(lstate, 3)) {
     return luaL_error(lstate, "callback must be a Lua function");
@@ -699,13 +699,18 @@ static int nlua_ui_attach(lua_State *lstate)
     const char *s = lua_tolstring(lstate, -2, &len);
     bool val = lua_toboolean(lstate, -1);
 
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < kUIGlobalCount; i++) {
-      if (strequal(s, ui_ext_names[i])) {
-        if (val) {
-          tbl_has_true_val = true;
+    if (strequal(s, "set_cmdheight")) {
+      ui_refresh_cmdheight = val;
+      goto ok;
+    } else {
+      for (size_t i = 0; i < kUIGlobalCount; i++) {
+        if (strequal(s, ui_ext_names[i])) {
+          if (val) {
+            tbl_has_true_val = true;
+          }
+          ext_widgets[i] = val;
+          goto ok;
         }
-        ext_widgets[i] = val;
-        goto ok;
       }
     }
 
@@ -715,11 +720,12 @@ ok:
   }
 
   if (!tbl_has_true_val) {
-    return luaL_error(lstate, "ext_widgets table must contain at least one 'true' value");
+    return luaL_error(lstate, "opts table must contain at least one 'true' ext_widget");
   }
 
   LuaRef ui_event_cb = nlua_ref_global(lstate, 3);
   ui_add_cb(ns_id, ui_event_cb, ext_widgets);
+  ui_refresh_cmdheight = true;
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/ui.c b/src/nvim/ui.c
index 9a36588b56..c2983430a0 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ui.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ui.c
@@ -223,9 +223,11 @@ void ui_refresh(void)
 
   // Reset 'cmdheight' for all tabpages when ext_messages toggles.
   if (had_message != ui_ext[kUIMessages]) {
-    set_option_value(kOptCmdheight, NUMBER_OPTVAL(had_message), 0);
-    FOR_ALL_TABS(tp) {
-      tp->tp_ch_used = had_message;
+    if (ui_refresh_cmdheight) {
+      set_option_value(kOptCmdheight, NUMBER_OPTVAL(had_message), 0);
+      FOR_ALL_TABS(tp) {
+        tp->tp_ch_used = had_message;
+      }
     }
     msg_scroll_flush();
   }
diff --git a/src/nvim/ui.h b/src/nvim/ui.h
index 4aeb8ffda9..c45b367c4d 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ui.h
+++ b/src/nvim/ui.h
@@ -21,3 +21,4 @@ EXTERN Array noargs INIT(= ARRAY_DICT_INIT);
 // vim.ui_attach() namespace of currently executed callback.
 EXTERN uint32_t ui_event_ns_id INIT( = 0);
 EXTERN MultiQueue *resize_events INIT( = NULL);
+EXTERN bool ui_refresh_cmdheight INIT( = true);
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/ui_event_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/ui_event_spec.lua
index 096280f563..853bee61c2 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/ui_event_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/ui_event_spec.lua
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ describe('vim.ui_attach', function()
     eq(0, n.api.nvim_get_option_value('cmdheight', {}))
   end)
 
+  it("can attach ext_messages without changing 'cmdheight'", function()
+    exec_lua('vim.ui_attach(ns, { ext_messages = true, set_cmdheight = false }, on_event)')
+    eq(1, n.api.nvim_get_option_value('cmdheight', {}))
+  end)
+
   it('avoids recursive flushing and invalid memory access with :redraw', function()
     exec_lua([[
       _G.cmdline = 0