diff --git a/docs/changelog.txt b/docs/changelog.txt
index 626191f9f..96a57e16d 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog.txt
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ changelog.txt uses a syntax similar to RST, with a few special sequences:
 ## API
 
 ## Lua
+- `overlay`: overlay widgets can now specify focus paths for the viewscreens they attach to so they only appear in specific contexts. see `overlay-dev-guide` for details.
 
 ## Removed
 
diff --git a/docs/dev/overlay-dev-guide.rst b/docs/dev/overlay-dev-guide.rst
index c7e094299..d31ce246d 100644
--- a/docs/dev/overlay-dev-guide.rst
+++ b/docs/dev/overlay-dev-guide.rst
@@ -109,7 +109,11 @@ The ``overlay.OverlayWidget`` superclass defines the following class attributes:
     ``dwarfmode`` and the adventure mode map viewscreen would be
     ``dungeonmode``. If there is only one viewscreen that this widget is
     associated with, it can be specified as a string instead of a list of
-    strings with a single element.
+    strings with a single element. If you only want your widget to appear in
+    certain contexts, you can specify a focus path, in the same syntax as the
+    `keybinding` command. For example, ``dwarfmode/Info/CREATURES/CITIZEN`` will
+    ensure the overlay widget is only displayed when the "Citizens" subtab under
+    the "Units" panel is active.
 - ``hotspot`` (default: ``false``)
     If set to ``true``, your widget's ``overlay_onupdate`` function will be
     called whenever the `overlay` plugin's ``plugin_onupdate()`` function is
diff --git a/plugins/lua/autolabor.lua b/plugins/lua/autolabor.lua
index b91227650..6ef4d7279 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/autolabor.lua
+++ b/plugins/lua/autolabor.lua
@@ -4,16 +4,11 @@ local gui = require('gui')
 local overlay = require('plugins.overlay')
 local widgets = require('gui.widgets')
 
-local function is_labor_panel_visible()
-    local info = df.global.game.main_interface.info
-    return info.open and info.current_mode == df.info_interface_mode_type.LABOR
-end
-
 AutolaborOverlay = defclass(AutolaborOverlay, overlay.OverlayWidget)
 AutolaborOverlay.ATTRS{
     default_pos={x=7,y=-13},
     default_enabled=true,
-    viewscreens='dwarfmode',
+    viewscreens='dwarfmode/Info/LABOR',
     frame={w=29, h=5},
     frame_style=gui.MEDIUM_FRAME,
     frame_background=gui.CLEAR_PEN,
@@ -34,9 +29,7 @@ function AutolaborOverlay:init()
 end
 
 function AutolaborOverlay:render(dc)
-    if not is_labor_panel_visible() or not isEnabled() then
-        return false
-    end
+    if not isEnabled() then return false end
     AutolaborOverlay.super.render(self, dc)
 end
 
diff --git a/plugins/lua/orders.lua b/plugins/lua/orders.lua
index 972edcfea..72bb6185e 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/orders.lua
+++ b/plugins/lua/orders.lua
@@ -9,11 +9,6 @@ local widgets = require('gui.widgets')
 -- OrdersOverlay
 --
 
-local function is_orders_panel_visible()
-    local info = df.global.game.main_interface.info
-    return info.open and info.current_mode == df.info_interface_mode_type.WORK_ORDERS
-end
-
 local function do_sort()
     dfhack.run_command('orders', 'sort')
 end
@@ -49,7 +44,7 @@ OrdersOverlay = defclass(OrdersOverlay, overlay.OverlayWidget)
 OrdersOverlay.ATTRS{
     default_pos={x=53,y=-6},
     default_enabled=true,
-    viewscreens='dwarfmode',
+    viewscreens='dwarfmode/Info/WORK_ORDERS',
     frame={w=30, h=4},
     frame_style=gui.MEDIUM_FRAME,
     frame_background=gui.CLEAR_PEN,
@@ -84,16 +79,6 @@ function OrdersOverlay:init()
     }
 end
 
-function OrdersOverlay:render(dc)
-    if not is_orders_panel_visible() then return false end
-    OrdersOverlay.super.render(self, dc)
-end
-
-function OrdersOverlay:onInput(keys)
-    if not is_orders_panel_visible() then return false end
-    OrdersOverlay.super.onInput(self, keys)
-end
-
 OVERLAY_WIDGETS = {
     overlay=OrdersOverlay,
 }
diff --git a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
index bf944d7e9..c3522c204 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
+++ b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
@@ -81,19 +81,18 @@ function normalize_list(element_or_list)
     return {element_or_list}
 end
 
--- normalize "short form" viewscreen names to "long form"
+-- normalize "short form" viewscreen names to "long form" and remove any focus
 local function normalize_viewscreen_name(vs_name)
-    if vs_name == 'all' or vs_name:match('viewscreen_.*st') then
-        return vs_name
+    if vs_name == 'all' or vs_name:match('^viewscreen_.*st') then
+        return vs_name:match('^[^/]+')
     end
-    return 'viewscreen_' .. vs_name .. 'st'
+    return 'viewscreen_' .. vs_name:match('^[^/]+') .. 'st'
 end
 
--- reduce "long form" viewscreen names to "short form"
+-- reduce "long form" viewscreen names to "short form"; keep focus
 function simplify_viewscreen_name(vs_name)
-    _,_,short_name = vs_name:find('^viewscreen_(.*)st$')
-    if short_name then return short_name end
-    return vs_name
+    local short_name = vs_name:match('^viewscreen_([^/]+)st')
+    return short_name or vs_name
 end
 
 local function is_empty(tbl)
@@ -241,10 +240,23 @@ local function do_list(args)
     end
 end
 
+local function get_focus_strings(viewscreens)
+    local focus_strings = nil
+    for _,vs in ipairs(viewscreens) do
+        if vs:match('/') then
+            focus_strings = focus_strings or {}
+            vs = simplify_viewscreen_name(vs)
+            table.insert(focus_strings, vs)
+        end
+    end
+    return focus_strings
+end
+
 local function load_widget(name, widget_class)
     local widget = widget_class{name=name}
     widget_db[name] = {
         widget=widget,
+        focus_strings=get_focus_strings(normalize_list(widget.viewscreens)),
         next_update_ms=widget.overlay_onupdate and 0 or math.huge,
     }
     if not overlay_config[name] then overlay_config[name] = {} end
@@ -426,12 +438,30 @@ function update_hotspot_widgets()
     end
 end
 
+local function matches_focus_strings(db_entry, vs_name)
+    if not db_entry.focus_strings then return true end
+    local matched = true
+    local simple_vs_name = simplify_viewscreen_name(vs_name)
+    for _,fs in ipairs(db_entry.focus_strings) do
+        if fs:startswith(simple_vs_name) then
+            matched = false
+            if dfhack.gui.matchFocusString(fs, vs) then
+                return true
+            end
+        end
+    end
+    return matched
+end
+
 local function _update_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, vs, now_ms)
     local vs_widgets = active_viewscreen_widgets[vs_name]
     if not vs_widgets then return end
     now_ms = now_ms or dfhack.getTickCount()
     for name,db_entry in pairs(vs_widgets) do
-        if do_update(name, db_entry, now_ms, vs) then return end
+        if matches_focus_strings(db_entry, vs_name) and
+                do_update(name, db_entry, now_ms, vs) then
+            return
+        end
     end
     return now_ms
 end
@@ -439,7 +469,9 @@ end
 function update_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, vs)
     if triggered_screen_has_lock() then return end
     local now_ms = _update_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, vs, nil)
-    _update_viewscreen_widgets('all', vs, now_ms)
+    if now_ms then
+        _update_viewscreen_widgets('all', vs, now_ms)
+    end
 end
 
 local function _feed_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, keys)
@@ -447,7 +479,8 @@ local function _feed_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, keys)
     if not vs_widgets then return false end
     for _,db_entry in pairs(vs_widgets) do
         local w = db_entry.widget
-        if detect_frame_change(w, function() return w:onInput(keys) end) then
+        if matches_focus_strings(db_entry, vs_name) and
+                detect_frame_change(w, function() return w:onInput(keys) end) then
             return true
         end
     end
@@ -465,7 +498,9 @@ local function _render_viewscreen_widgets(vs_name, dc)
     dc = dc or gui.Painter.new()
     for _,db_entry in pairs(vs_widgets) do
         local w = db_entry.widget
-        detect_frame_change(w, function() w:render(dc) end)
+        if matches_focus_strings(db_entry, vs_name) then
+            detect_frame_change(w, function() w:render(dc) end)
+        end
     end
 end