diff --git a/crates/gpui/src/platform/windows/window.rs b/crates/gpui/src/platform/windows/window.rs
index 4043001a35249504b2c3efa15568a731a8ad27e0..32a6da23915d1e2bdf61c662e364119e9c6a8c64 100644
--- a/crates/gpui/src/platform/windows/window.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui/src/platform/windows/window.rs
@@ -677,6 +677,36 @@ impl PlatformWindow for WindowsWindow {
                 this.set_window_placement().log_err();
                 unsafe { SetActiveWindow(hwnd).log_err() };
                 unsafe { SetFocus(Some(hwnd)).log_err() };
+
+                // premium ragebait by windows, this is needed because the window
+                // must have received an input event to be able to set itself to foreground
+                // so let's just simulate user input as that seems to be the most reliable way
+                // some more info: https://gist.github.com/Aetopia/1581b40f00cc0cadc93a0e8ccb65dc8c
+                // bonus: this bug also doesn't manifest if you have vs attached to the process
+                let inputs = [
+                    INPUT {
+                        r#type: INPUT_KEYBOARD,
+                        Anonymous: INPUT_0 {
+                            ki: KEYBDINPUT {
+                                wVk: VK_MENU,
+                                dwFlags: KEYBD_EVENT_FLAGS(0),
+                                ..Default::default()
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                    INPUT {
+                        r#type: INPUT_KEYBOARD,
+                        Anonymous: INPUT_0 {
+                            ki: KEYBDINPUT {
+                                wVk: VK_MENU,
+                                dwFlags: KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,
+                                ..Default::default()
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                ];
+                unsafe { SendInput(&inputs, std::mem::size_of::<INPUT>() as i32) };
+
                 // todo(windows)
                 // crate `windows 0.56` reports true as Err
                 unsafe { SetForegroundWindow(hwnd).as_bool() };