diff --git a/docs/89-NEWS.md b/docs/89-NEWS.md
index 0b3170910..a7e5af538 100644
--- a/docs/89-NEWS.md
+++ b/docs/89-NEWS.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ This document was last updated at commit v4.3-197-g9085ed631.
 
 ## New features
 
+* `mousegrabber` can now take `nil` as a cursor to not change the cursor at all.
 * `awful.screen` now has a `request::wallpaper` and a
   `request::desktop_decoration` signal. They make some workflow implementation
   cleaner.
diff --git a/mousegrabber.c b/mousegrabber.c
index 35bbeb520..4dc4f554e 100644
--- a/mousegrabber.c
+++ b/mousegrabber.c
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ mousegrabber_handleevent(lua_State *L, int x, int y, uint16_t mask)
  *
  *
  * @tparam function func A callback function as described above.
- * @tparam string cursor The name of a X cursor to use while grabbing.
+ * @tparam string|nil cursor The name of an X cursor to use while grabbing or `nil`
+ * to not change the cursor.
  * @noreturn
  * @staticfct run
  */
@@ -98,23 +99,28 @@ luaA_mousegrabber_run(lua_State *L)
     if(globalconf.mousegrabber != LUA_REFNIL)
         luaL_error(L, "mousegrabber already running");
 
-    uint16_t cfont = xcursor_font_fromstr(luaL_checkstring(L, 2));
+    xcb_cursor_t cursor = XCB_NONE;
 
-    if(cfont)
+    if(!lua_isnil(L, 2))
     {
-        xcb_cursor_t cursor = xcursor_new(globalconf.cursor_ctx, cfont);
-
-        luaA_registerfct(L, 1, &globalconf.mousegrabber);
-
-        if(!mousegrabber_grab(cursor))
+        uint16_t cfont = xcursor_font_fromstr(luaL_checkstring(L, 2));
+        if(!cfont)
         {
-            luaA_unregister(L, &globalconf.mousegrabber);
-            luaL_error(L, "unable to grab mouse pointer");
+            luaA_warn(L, "invalid cursor");
+            return 0;
         }
-    }
-    else
-        luaA_warn(L, "invalid cursor");
 
+        cursor = xcursor_new(globalconf.cursor_ctx, cfont);
+    }
+
+    luaA_registerfct(L, 1, &globalconf.mousegrabber);
+
+    if(!mousegrabber_grab(cursor))
+    {
+        luaA_unregister(L, &globalconf.mousegrabber);
+        luaL_error(L, "unable to grab mouse pointer");
+    }
+    
     return 0;
 }