diff --git a/services/modals/Cargo.toml b/services/modals/Cargo.toml
index c8e971e07..c11249435 100644
--- a/services/modals/Cargo.toml
+++ b/services/modals/Cargo.toml
@@ -36,13 +36,14 @@ ux-api = { path = "../../libs/ux-api", optional = true, features = ["std"] }
 utralib = { version = "0.1.25", optional = true, default-features = false }
 
 [features]
+no-gam = []
 precursor = ["utralib/precursor", "trng", "gam", "tts-frontend"]
 hosted = ["utralib/hosted", "trng", "gam", "tts-frontend"]
 renode = ["utralib/renode", "trng", "gam", "tts-frontend"]
 
-cramium-soc = ["utralib/cramium-soc", "cram-hal-service"]
-hosted-baosec = ["ux-api/hosted-baosec", "cramium-emu", "cramium-api"]
-board-baosec = ["ux-api/board-baosec", "cramium-api"]
+cramium-soc = ["utralib/cramium-soc", "cram-hal-service", "no-gam"]
+hosted-baosec = ["ux-api/hosted-baosec", "cramium-emu", "cramium-api", "no-gam"]
+board-baosec = ["ux-api/board-baosec", "cramium-api", "no-gam"]
 doc-deps = ["gam", "ux-api/doc-deps"]
 modal-testing = []
 
diff --git a/services/modals/src/api.rs b/services/modals/src/api.rs
index 35e82a3b7..661ac75ab 100644
--- a/services/modals/src/api.rs
+++ b/services/modals/src/api.rs
@@ -170,4 +170,9 @@ pub(crate) enum Opcode {
     Gutter = 29,
 
     Quit = 30,
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+    ReleaseFocus = 1024,
+    #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+    AcquireFocus = 1025,
 }
diff --git a/services/modals/src/lib.rs b/services/modals/src/lib.rs
index 137012c06..17ad3a38b 100644
--- a/services/modals/src/lib.rs
+++ b/services/modals/src/lib.rs
@@ -915,6 +915,18 @@ impl Modals {
     /// - needed for use with `dynamic_notification_blocking_listener`
     /// - see `dynamic_notification_blocking_listener` for a code example.
     pub fn token(&self) -> [u32; 4] { self.token }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+    pub fn release_focus(&self) {
+        send_message(self.conn, Message::new_scalar(Opcode::ReleaseFocus.to_usize().unwrap(), 0, 0, 0, 0))
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+    pub fn acquire_focus(&self) {
+        send_message(self.conn, Message::new_scalar(Opcode::AcquireFocus.to_usize().unwrap(), 0, 0, 0, 0))
+            .unwrap();
+    }
 }
 
 use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
diff --git a/services/modals/src/main.rs b/services/modals/src/main.rs
index 8dd9619cb..8392eb131 100644
--- a/services/modals/src/main.rs
+++ b/services/modals/src/main.rs
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ fn wrapped_main() -> ! {
 
     let mut dynamic_notification_listener: Option<xous::MessageSender> = None;
     let mut dynamic_notification_active: bool = false;
+    #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+    let mut has_focus = false;
 
     loop {
         let mut msg = xous::receive_message(modals_sid).unwrap();
@@ -1021,13 +1023,22 @@ fn wrapped_main() -> ! {
                     core::char::from_u32(k3 as u32).unwrap_or('\u{0000}'),
                     core::char::from_u32(k4 as u32).unwrap_or('\u{0000}'),
                 ];
-                renderer_modal.key_event(keys);
+                if has_focus {
+                    renderer_modal.key_event(keys);
+                }
             }),
             Some(Opcode::ModalDrop) => {
                 // this guy should never quit, it's a core OS service
                 panic!("Password modal for PDDB quit unexpectedly");
             }
-
+            #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+            Some(Opcode::AcquireFocus) => msg_scalar_unpack!(msg, _, _, _, _, {
+                has_focus = true;
+            }),
+            #[cfg(feature = "no-gam")]
+            Some(Opcode::ReleaseFocus) => msg_scalar_unpack!(msg, _, _, _, _, {
+                has_focus = false;
+            }),
             Some(Opcode::Quit) => {
                 log::warn!("Shared modal UX handler exiting.");
                 break;