diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/main.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/main.cc
index 2aa78cfdb1..da09427d6b 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/main.cc
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ void Nitpicker::Main::handle_input_events(User_state::Input_batch batch)
 	}
 
 	/* report hover changes */
-	if (_hover_reporter.enabled() && !result.key_pressed
+	if (_hover_reporter.enabled()
 	 && (result.hover_changed || (old_motion_activity != _motion_activity))) {
 		Reporter::Xml_generator xml(_hover_reporter, [&] () {
 			_user_state.report_hovered_view_owner(xml, _motion_activity); });
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/user_state.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/user_state.cc
index f681036887..4e4e6145f4 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/user_state.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nitpicker/user_state.cc
@@ -419,6 +419,10 @@ User_state::Handle_forget_result User_state::forget(View_owner const &owner)
 
 User_state::Update_hover_result User_state::update_hover()
 {
+	/* no hover changes while dragging */
+	if (_key_pressed())
+		return { .hover_changed = false };
+
 	View_owner * const old_hovered  = _hovered;
 	View const * const pointed_view = _view_stack.find_view(_pointer_pos);
 
@@ -432,7 +436,7 @@ User_state::Update_hover_result User_state::update_hover()
 		if (old_hovered)
 			old_hovered->submit_input_event(Hover_leave());
 
-		if (_hovered && _key_cnt == 0)
+		if (_hovered)
 			_hovered->submit_input_event(Absolute_motion{_pointer_pos.x(),
 			                                             _pointer_pos.y()});
 	}