diff --git a/gui/sdlimgui/manager.go b/gui/sdlimgui/manager.go
index b493400b..54a2a74e 100644
--- a/gui/sdlimgui/manager.go
+++ b/gui/sdlimgui/manager.go
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ type manager struct {
 	// proxy value
 	screenPos imgui.Vec2
 
-	// is true if mouse is not over any of the playmode windows
-	playmodeHover bool
+	// is true if mouse over any of the playmode windows
+	playmodeWindowHover bool
 
 	// for convenience the dbgScr window gets it's own field
 	//
@@ -152,13 +152,13 @@ func (wm *manager) draw() {
 	case govern.ModePlay:
 		// reset playmodeHover flag by default. it's only ever true if a window is open (and that
 		// window is being hovered over)
-		wm.playmodeHover = false
+		wm.playmodeWindowHover = false
 
 		// playmode draws the screen and other windows that have been listed
 		// as being safe to draw in playmode
 		for _, w := range wm.playmodeWindows {
 			_ = w.playmodeDraw()
-			wm.playmodeHover = wm.playmodeHover || imgui.IsWindowHoveredV(imgui.HoveredFlagsAnyWindow)
+			wm.playmodeWindowHover = wm.playmodeWindowHover || w.playmodeGeometry().hovered
 		}
 	case govern.ModeDebugger:
 		// see commentary for screenPos in windowManager declaration
diff --git a/gui/sdlimgui/manager_window.go b/gui/sdlimgui/manager_window.go
index 3fcfaa77..f2ba3bda 100644
--- a/gui/sdlimgui/manager_window.go
+++ b/gui/sdlimgui/manager_window.go
@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ type window interface {
 	id() string
 }
 
-// size and position of the window. is embedded in playmodeWin and debuggerWin
-// interfaces. for window type that implent interfaces then windowGeom
-// method calls will need to disambiguate which geometry to use
+// information about the window, including window geometry
+//
+// is embedded in playmodeWin and debuggerWin interfaces. for window type that
+// implent interfaces then windowGeom method calls will need to disambiguate
+// which geometry to use
 type windowGeom struct {
 	position imgui.Vec2
 	size     imgui.Vec2
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ type windowGeom struct {
 	// whether the window is focused
 	focused bool
 
+	// whether the window is hovered over with the mouse
+	hovered bool
+
 	// whether the window should be raised on the next draw
 	raise bool
 
@@ -54,6 +59,7 @@ func (g *windowGeom) update() {
 	g.position = imgui.WindowPos()
 	g.size = imgui.WindowSize()
 	g.focused = imgui.IsWindowFocused()
+	g.hovered = imgui.IsWindowHovered()
 }
 
 type playmodeWindow interface {
diff --git a/gui/sdlimgui/service.go b/gui/sdlimgui/service.go
index 6cc2f134..f4268dbf 100644
--- a/gui/sdlimgui/service.go
+++ b/gui/sdlimgui/service.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func (img *SdlImgui) Service() {
 								}
 							} else if img.isPlaymode() {
 								// set mouse capture if mouse is not over a window
-								if !img.wm.playmodeHover {
+								if !img.wm.playmodeWindowHover {
 									img.setCapture(true)
 								}
 							}