diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.cpp
index 6a477a3a1c..ba0a4cb7c7 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.cpp
@@ -223,6 +223,14 @@ Model::WindowSettings CascadiaSettings::WindowSettings(const winrt::hstring& win
         {
             return it;
         }
+
+        // The "_quake" window is special: even if the user never defined a
+        // "_quake" entry, we still hand back a synthesized WindowSettings that's
+        // initialized for quake mode (see the SettingsLoader-consuming ctor).
+        if (_quakeWindowSettings && windowName == L"_quake")
+        {
+            return *_quakeWindowSettings;
+        }
     }
     return *_baseWindowSettings;
 }
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.h b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.h
index 766d3808e2..24962ce8e2 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.h
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettings.h
@@ -243,6 +243,11 @@ namespace winrt::Microsoft::Terminal::Settings::Model::implementation
 
         winrt::com_ptr<implementation::WindowSettings> _baseWindowSettings = winrt::make_self<implementation::WindowSettings>();
         Windows::Foundation::Collections::IMap<winrt::hstring, Model::WindowSettings> _windows{ winrt::single_threaded_map<winrt::hstring, Model::WindowSettings>() };
+        // The special "_quake" window always exists, even if the user never
+        // defined one in their settings. When that's the case, this holds a
+        // synthesized "fake" WindowSettings initialized for quake mode. It is
+        // deliberately kept out of _windows so it's never written back to disk.
+        winrt::com_ptr<implementation::WindowSettings> _quakeWindowSettings{ nullptr };
 
         winrt::com_ptr<implementation::Profile> _baseLayerProfile = winrt::make_self<implementation::Profile>();
         winrt::Windows::Foundation::Collections::IObservableVector<Model::Profile> _allProfiles = winrt::single_threaded_observable_vector<Model::Profile>();
diff --git a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
index 096bcc686f..25b2dd9277 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/TerminalSettingsModel/CascadiaSettingsSerialization.cpp
@@ -1516,6 +1516,22 @@ CascadiaSettings::CascadiaSettings(SettingsLoader&& loader) :
         _windows.Insert(name, *window);
     }
 
+    // The "_quake" window is always treated specially. Even if the user never
+    // defined a "_quake" entry in their settings, we still want it to behave
+    // like a quake-mode window (docked to the top of the screen, in focus
+    // mode). If we didn't load one, synthesize a "fake" one that inherits from
+    // the base window settings but is initialized for quake mode. We keep it out
+    // of _windows so it isn't serialized back to the user's settings file.
+    if (!_windows.HasKey(L"_quake"))
+    {
+        auto quake{ winrt::make_self<implementation::WindowSettings>() };
+        quake->Name(L"_quake");
+        quake->InitializeForQuakeMode();
+        quake->AddLeastImportantParent(_baseWindowSettings);
+        quake->_FinalizeInheritance();
+        _quakeWindowSettings = std::move(quake);
+    }
+
     _resolveDefaultProfile();
     _resolveNewTabMenuProfiles();
     _validateSettings();
@@ -1777,6 +1793,11 @@ void CascadiaSettings::_resolveDefaultProfile() const
     {
         _resolveDefaultProfileForWindow(window, firstProfileGuid);
     }
+
+    if (_quakeWindowSettings)
+    {
+        _resolveDefaultProfileForWindow(*_quakeWindowSettings, firstProfileGuid);
+    }
 }
 
 bool CascadiaSettings::_resolveDefaultProfileForWindow(const Model::WindowSettings& window,
@@ -1809,6 +1830,11 @@ void CascadiaSettings::_resolveNewTabMenuProfiles() const
     {
         _resolveNewTabMenuProfilesForWindow(window);
     }
+
+    if (_quakeWindowSettings)
+    {
+        _resolveNewTabMenuProfilesForWindow(*_quakeWindowSettings);
+    }
 }
 
 // Method Description: