diff --git a/src/excmds.ts b/src/excmds.ts
index c9c11f09..a2d78b6a 100644
--- a/src/excmds.ts
+++ b/src/excmds.ts
@@ -2731,6 +2731,7 @@ export async function tabopen_helper({ addressarr = [], waitForDom = false }): P
     let active
     let container
     let bypassFocusHack = false
+    let discarded = false
 
     const win = await browser.windows.getCurrent()
 
@@ -2748,6 +2749,11 @@ export async function tabopen_helper({ addressarr = [], waitForDom = false }): P
             bypassFocusHack = true
             args.shift()
             argParse(args)
+        } else if (args[0] === "--discard") {
+            discarded = true
+            active = false
+            args.shift()
+            argParse(args)
         } else if (args[0] === "-c") {
             if (args.length < 2) throw new Error(`You must provide a container name!`)
             // Ignore the -c flag if incognito as containers are disabled.
@@ -2793,6 +2799,7 @@ export async function tabopen_helper({ addressarr = [], waitForDom = false }): P
         args.cookieStoreId = containerId
     }
     args.bypassFocusHack = bypassFocusHack
+    args.discarded = discarded
     const maybeURL = await queryAndURLwrangler(query)
     if (typeof maybeURL === "string") {
         return openInNewTab(maybeURL, args, waitForDom)
@@ -5170,6 +5177,7 @@ const KILL_STACK: Element[] = []
     - `;gv` - "open link in MPV" - only available if you have [[native]] installed and `mpv` on your PATH
     - `;m` and `;M` - do a reverse image search using Google in the current tab and a new tab
     - `;x` and `;X` - move cursor to element and perform a real click or ctrl-shift-click (to open in a new foreground tab). Only available on Linux, if you have [[native]] installed and `xdotool` on your PATH
+    - `;d` and `;gd` - open links in discarded background tabs (defer loading until tab is switched to)
 
     NB: by default, hinting respects whether links say they should be opened in new tabs (i.e. `target=_blank`). If you wish to override this you can use `:hint -JW open` to force the hints to open in the current tab. JavaScript hints (grey ones) will always open wherever they want, but if you want to include these anyway you can use `:hint -W open`.
 
diff --git a/src/lib/config.ts b/src/lib/config.ts
index dc15b1d7..03d66b53 100644
--- a/src/lib/config.ts
+++ b/src/lib/config.ts
@@ -328,6 +328,8 @@ export class default_config {
         ";O": "hint -W fillcmdline_notrail open ",
         ";W": "hint -W fillcmdline_notrail winopen ",
         ";T": "hint -W fillcmdline_notrail tabopen ",
+        ";d": "hint -W tabopen --discard",
+        ";gd": "hint -qW tabopen --discard",
         ";z": "hint -z",
         ";m": "hint -JFc img i => tri.excmds.open('https://lens.google.com/uploadbyurl?url='+i.src)",
         ";M": "hint -JFc img i => tri.excmds.tabopen('https://lens.google.com/uploadbyurl?url='+i.src)",
diff --git a/src/lib/webext.ts b/src/lib/webext.ts
index e833588c..b4282871 100644
--- a/src/lib/webext.ts
+++ b/src/lib/webext.ts
@@ -177,11 +177,12 @@ export async function openInNewTab(
     url: string,
 
     // NB: defaults are actually enforced just below
-    kwargs: { active?; related?; cookieStoreId?; bypassFocusHack? } = {
+    kwargs: { active?; related?; cookieStoreId?; bypassFocusHack?; discarded? } = {
         active: true,
         related: false,
         cookieStoreId: undefined,
         bypassFocusHack: false,
+        discarded: false,
     },
 
     waitForDOM = false,
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ export async function openInNewTab(
         related: false,
         cookieStoreId: undefined,
         bypassFocusHack: false,
+        discarded: false,
     })
 
     const thisTab = await activeTab()
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ export async function openInNewTab(
         active: kwargs.bypassFocusHack,
         url,
         cookieStoreId: kwargs.cookieStoreId,
+        discarded: kwargs.discarded,
     }
 
     // Be nice to behrmann, #342