diff --git a/autotests/client/test_plasmashell.cpp b/autotests/client/test_plasmashell.cpp
--- a/autotests/client/test_plasmashell.cpp
+++ b/autotests/client/test_plasmashell.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     void testPanelBehavior_data();
     void testPanelBehavior();
     void testAutoHidePanel();
+    void testPanelTakesFocus();
     void testDisconnect();
     void testWhileDestroying();
 
@@ -396,6 +397,29 @@
     QVERIFY(errorSpy.wait());
 }
 
+void TestPlasmaShell::testPanelTakesFocus()
+{
+    // this test verifies that whether a panel wants to take focus is passed through correctly
+    QSignalSpy plasmaSurfaceCreatedSpy(m_plasmaShellInterface, &PlasmaShellInterface::surfaceCreated);
+    QVERIFY(plasmaSurfaceCreatedSpy.isValid());
+    QScopedPointer<Surface> s(m_compositor->createSurface());
+    QScopedPointer<PlasmaShellSurface> ps(m_plasmaShell->createSurface(s.data()));
+    ps->setRole(PlasmaShellSurface::Role::Panel);
+    QVERIFY(plasmaSurfaceCreatedSpy.wait());
+    QCOMPARE(plasmaSurfaceCreatedSpy.count(), 1);
+    auto sps = plasmaSurfaceCreatedSpy.first().first().value<PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface*>();
+    QVERIFY(sps);
+    QCOMPARE(sps->role(), PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface::Role::Panel);
+    QCOMPARE(sps->panelTakesFocus(), false);
+
+    ps->setPanelTakesFocus(true);
+    m_connection->flush();
+    QTRY_COMPARE(sps->panelTakesFocus(), true);
+    ps->setPanelTakesFocus(false);
+    m_connection->flush();
+    QTRY_COMPARE(sps->panelTakesFocus(), false);
+}
+
 void TestPlasmaShell::testDisconnect()
 {
     // this test verifies that a disconnect cleans up
diff --git a/src/client/plasmashell.h b/src/client/plasmashell.h
--- a/src/client/plasmashell.h
+++ b/src/client/plasmashell.h
@@ -317,6 +317,17 @@
      **/
     void requestShowAutoHidingPanel();
 
+    /**
+     * Set whether a PlasmaShellSurface with Role Panel should get focus or not.
+     *
+     * By default a Panel does not take focus. With this request the compositor
+     * can be instructed to also pass focus to a panel
+     *
+     * @param takesFocus Set to @c true if the Panel should gain focus.
+     * @since 5.28
+     **/
+    void setPanelTakesFocus(bool takesFocus);
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     /**
      * Emitted when the compositor hided an auto hiding panel.
diff --git a/src/client/plasmashell.cpp b/src/client/plasmashell.cpp
--- a/src/client/plasmashell.cpp
+++ b/src/client/plasmashell.cpp
@@ -332,5 +332,10 @@
     org_kde_plasma_surface_panel_auto_hide_show(d->surface);
 }
 
+void PlasmaShellSurface::setPanelTakesFocus(bool takesFocus)
+{
+    org_kde_plasma_surface_set_panel_takes_focus(d->surface, takesFocus);
+}
+
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/client/protocols/plasma-shell.xml b/src/client/protocols/plasma-shell.xml
--- a/src/client/protocols/plasma-shell.xml
+++ b/src/client/protocols/plasma-shell.xml
@@ -362,6 +362,17 @@
         </description>
     </request>
 
+    <request name="set_panel_takes_focus" since="4">
+      <description summary="Whether a panel takes focus">
+          By default a org_kde_plasma_surface with role panel does not take focus and cannot be
+          activated. With this request the compositor can be instructed to pass focus also to this
+          org_kde_plasma_surface.
+
+          For org_kde_plasma_surface with another role than panel the request does not have any effect.
+      </description>
+      <arg name="takes_focus" type="uint" summary="Boolean value that sets whether the panel takes focus"/>
+    </request>
+
     <event name="auto_hidden_panel_hidden" since="4">
         <description summary="Auto-hiding panel is hidden">
             An auto-hiding panel got hidden by the compositor.
diff --git a/src/server/plasmashell_interface.h b/src/server/plasmashell_interface.h
--- a/src/server/plasmashell_interface.h
+++ b/src/server/plasmashell_interface.h
@@ -160,6 +160,16 @@
     void showAutoHidingPanel();
 
     /**
+     * Whether a PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface with Role Panel wants to have focus.
+     *
+     * By default a Panel does not get focus, but the PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface can
+     * request that it wants to have focus. The compositor can use this information to
+     * pass focus to the panel.
+     * @since 5.28
+     **/
+    bool panelTakesFocus() const;
+
+    /**
      * @returns The PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface for the @p native resource.
      * @since 5.5
      **/
diff --git a/src/server/plasmashell_interface.cpp b/src/server/plasmashell_interface.cpp
--- a/src/server/plasmashell_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/server/plasmashell_interface.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
     bool m_positionSet = false;
     PanelBehavior m_panelBehavior = PanelBehavior::AlwaysVisible;
     bool m_skipTaskbar = false;
+    bool panelTakesFocus = false;
 
 private:
     // interface callbacks
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@
     static void setSkipTaskbarCallback(wl_client *client, wl_resource *resource, uint32_t skip);
     static void panelAutoHideHideCallback(wl_client *client, wl_resource *resource);
     static void panelAutoHideShowCallback(wl_client *client, wl_resource *resource);
+    static void panelTakesFocusCallback(wl_client *client, wl_resource *resource, uint32_t takesFocus);
 
     void setPosition(const QPoint &globalPos);
     void setRole(uint32_t role);
@@ -162,7 +164,8 @@
     setPanelBehaviorCallback,
     setSkipTaskbarCallback,
     panelAutoHideHideCallback,
-    panelAutoHideShowCallback
+    panelAutoHideShowCallback,
+    panelTakesFocusCallback
 };
 #endif
 
@@ -296,6 +299,13 @@
     emit s->q_func()->panelAutoHideShowRequested();
 }
 
+void PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface::Private::panelTakesFocusCallback(wl_client *client, wl_resource *resource, uint32_t takesFocus)
+{
+    auto s = cast<Private>(resource);
+    Q_ASSERT(client == *s->client);
+    s->panelTakesFocus = takesFocus;
+}
+
 void PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface::Private::setPanelBehavior(org_kde_plasma_surface_panel_behavior behavior)
 {
     PanelBehavior newBehavior = PanelBehavior::AlwaysVisible;
@@ -369,6 +379,12 @@
     org_kde_plasma_surface_send_auto_hidden_panel_shown(d->resource);
 }
 
+bool PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface::panelTakesFocus() const
+{
+    Q_D();
+    return d->panelTakesFocus;
+}
+
 PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface *PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface::get(wl_resource *native)
 {
     return Private::get<PlasmaShellSurfaceInterface>(native);