diff --git a/docs/changelog.txt b/docs/changelog.txt
index adc4ca786..e63b80bd7 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog.txt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ changelog.txt uses a syntax similar to RST, with a few special sequences:
 - Mods: scripts from only the most recent version of an installed mod are added to the script path
 - Mods: give active mods a chance to reattach their load hooks when a world is reloaded
 - `gui/control-panel`: bugfix services are now enabled by default
+- Core: hide DFHack terminal console by default when running on Steam Deck
 
 ## Documentation
 
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 92db43563..a3fcb8b6f 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ set(MODULE_HEADERS
     include/modules/Burrows.h
     include/modules/Constructions.h
     include/modules/DFSDL.h
+    include/modules/DFSteam.h
     include/modules/Designations.h
     include/modules/EventManager.h
     include/modules/Filesystem.h
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ set(MODULE_SOURCES
     modules/Burrows.cpp
     modules/Constructions.cpp
     modules/DFSDL.cpp
+    modules/DFSteam.cpp
     modules/Designations.cpp
     modules/EventManager.cpp
     modules/Filesystem.cpp
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 97c69946e..b1fe2d389 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ distribution.
 #include "PluginManager.h"
 #include "ModuleFactory.h"
 #include "modules/DFSDL.h"
+#include "modules/DFSteam.h"
 #include "modules/EventManager.h"
 #include "modules/Filesystem.h"
 #include "modules/Gui.h"
@@ -1303,6 +1304,10 @@ static void run_dfhack_init(color_ostream &out, Core *core)
         return;
     }
 
+    // if we're running on Steam Deck, hide the terminal by default
+    if (DFSteam::DFIsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck())
+        core->getConsole().hide();
+
     // load baseline defaults
     core->loadScriptFile(out, CONFIG_PATH + "init/default.dfhack.init", false);
 
@@ -1668,6 +1673,8 @@ bool Core::Init()
         fatal("cannot bind SDL libraries");
         return false;
     }
+    if (DFSteam::init(con))
+        std::cerr << "Found Steam.\n";
     std::cerr << "Initializing textures.\n";
     Textures::init(con);
     // create mutex for syncing with interactive tasks
@@ -2274,6 +2281,7 @@ int Core::Shutdown ( void )
     allModules.clear();
     Textures::cleanup();
     DFSDL::cleanup();
+    DFSteam::cleanup();
     memset(&(s_mods), 0, sizeof(s_mods));
     d.reset();
     return -1;
diff --git a/library/include/modules/DFSteam.h b/library/include/modules/DFSteam.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3144830da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/include/modules/DFSteam.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "ColorText.h"
+#include "Export.h"
+
+namespace DFHack
+{
+
+/**
+ * The DFSteam module - provides access to Steam functions without actually
+ * requiring build-time linkage to Steam
+ * \ingroup grp_modules
+ * \ingroup grp_dfsdl
+ */
+namespace DFSteam
+{
+
+/**
+ * Call this on DFHack init so we can load the function pointers. Returns false on
+ * failure.
+ */
+bool init(DFHack::color_ostream& out);
+
+/**
+ * Call this when DFHack is being unloaded.
+ */
+void cleanup();
+
+DFHACK_EXPORT bool DFIsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck();
+
+}
+}
diff --git a/library/modules/DFSteam.cpp b/library/modules/DFSteam.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b27cc1744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/modules/DFSteam.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#include "Internal.h"
+
+#include "modules/DFSteam.h"
+
+#include "Debug.h"
+#include "PluginManager.h"
+
+namespace DFHack
+{
+DBG_DECLARE(core, dfsteam, DebugCategory::LINFO);
+}
+
+using namespace DFHack;
+
+static DFLibrary* g_steam_handle = nullptr;
+static const std::vector<std::string> STEAM_LIBS {
+    "steam_api64.dll",
+        "steam_api", // TODO: validate this on OSX
+        "libsteam_api.so" // TODO: validate this on Linux
+};
+
+bool (*g_SteamAPI_Init)() = nullptr;
+void (*g_SteamAPI_Shutdown)() = nullptr;
+void* (*g_SteamInternal_FindOrCreateUserInterface)(int, const char*) = nullptr;
+bool (*g_SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck)(void*) = nullptr;
+
+bool DFSteam::init(color_ostream& out) {
+    for (auto& lib_str : STEAM_LIBS) {
+        if ((g_steam_handle = OpenPlugin(lib_str.c_str())))
+            break;
+    }
+    if (!g_steam_handle) {
+        DEBUG(dfsteam, out).print("steam library not found; stubbing calls\n");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+#define bind(handle, name) \
+        g_##name = (decltype(g_##name))LookupPlugin(handle, #name); \
+        if (!g_##name) { \
+            WARN(dfsteam, out).print("steam library function not found: " #name "\n"); \
+        }
+
+    bind(g_steam_handle, SteamAPI_Init);
+    bind(g_steam_handle, SteamAPI_Shutdown);
+
+    // TODO: can we remove this initialization of the Steam API once we move to dfhooks?
+    if (!g_SteamAPI_Init || !g_SteamAPI_Shutdown || !g_SteamAPI_Init()) {
+        DEBUG(dfsteam, out).print("steam detected but cannot be initialized\n");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    bind(g_steam_handle, SteamInternal_FindOrCreateUserInterface);
+    bind(g_steam_handle, SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck);
+#undef bind
+
+    DEBUG(dfsteam, out).print("steam library linked\n");
+    return true;
+}
+
+void DFSteam::cleanup() {
+    if (!g_steam_handle)
+        return;
+
+    if (g_SteamAPI_Shutdown)
+        g_SteamAPI_Shutdown();
+
+    ClosePlugin(g_steam_handle);
+    g_steam_handle = nullptr;
+}
+
+bool DFSteam::DFIsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck() {
+    if (!g_SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck)
+        return false;
+
+    if (!g_SteamInternal_FindOrCreateUserInterface)
+        return false;
+
+    void* SteamUtils = g_SteamInternal_FindOrCreateUserInterface(0, "SteamUtils010");
+
+    return g_SteamAPI_ISteamUtils_IsSteamRunningOnSteamDeck(SteamUtils);
+}