diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 86f117b..5b1f045 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::{collections::HashMap, env::current_dir, fs::canonicalize, path::PathBu
 
 use crate::{
     clone::git_clone,
-    configs::{Config, SearchDirectory, SessionSortOrderConfig},
+    configs::{CloneRepoSwitchConfig, Config, SearchDirectory, SessionSortOrderConfig},
     dirty_paths::DirtyUtf8Path,
     execute_command, get_single_selection,
     marks::{marks_command, MarksCommand},
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ pub struct ConfigCommand {
     #[arg(long, value_name = "Alphabetical | LastAttached")]
     /// Set the sort order of the sessions in the switch command
     session_sort_order: Option<SessionSortOrderConfig>,
+    #[arg(long, value_name = "Always | Never | Foreground", verbatim_doc_comment)]
+    /// Whether to automatically switch to the new session after the `clone-repo` command finishes
+    /// `Always` will always switch tmux to the new session
+    /// `Never` will always create the new session in the background
+    /// When set to `Foreground`, the new session will only be opened in the background if the active
+    /// tmux session has changed since starting the clone process (for long clone processes on larger repos)
+    clone_repo_switch: Option<CloneRepoSwitchConfig>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Args)]
@@ -428,6 +435,10 @@ fn config_command(args: &ConfigCommand, mut config: Config) -> Result<()> {
         config.session_sort_order = Some(order.to_owned());
     }
 
+    if let Some(switch) = &args.clone_repo_switch {
+        config.clone_repo_switch = Some(switch.to_owned());
+    }
+
     config.save().change_context(TmsError::ConfigError)?;
     println!("Configuration has been stored");
     Ok(())
@@ -650,11 +661,26 @@ fn clone_repo_command(args: &CloneRepoCommand, config: Config, tmux: &Tmux) -> R
     let repo_name = repo_name.trim_end_matches(".git");
     path.push(repo_name);
 
+    let previous_session = tmux.current_session("#{session_name}");
+
     println!("Cloning into '{repo_name}'...");
     let repo = git_clone(&args.repository, &path)?;
 
     let mut session_name = repo_name.to_string();
 
+    let switch_config = config
+        .clone_repo_switch
+        .unwrap_or(CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Always);
+
+    let switch = match switch_config {
+        CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Always => true,
+        CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Never => false,
+        CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Foreground => {
+            let active_session = tmux.current_session("#{session_name}");
+            previous_session == active_session
+        }
+    };
+
     if tmux.session_exists(&session_name) {
         session_name = format!(
             "{}/{}",
@@ -669,7 +695,9 @@ fn clone_repo_command(args: &CloneRepoCommand, config: Config, tmux: &Tmux) -> R
 
     tmux.new_session(Some(&session_name), Some(&path.display().to_string()));
     tmux.set_up_tmux_env(&repo, &session_name)?;
-    tmux.switch_to_session(&session_name);
+    if switch {
+        tmux.switch_to_session(&session_name);
+    }
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/configs.rs b/src/configs.rs
index 7dafe38..73979c1 100644
--- a/src/configs.rs
+++ b/src/configs.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub bookmarks: Option<Vec<String>>,
     pub session_configs: Option<HashMap<String, SessionConfig>>,
     pub marks: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
+    pub clone_repo_switch: Option<CloneRepoSwitchConfig>,
 }
 
 impl Config {
@@ -368,6 +369,29 @@ impl ValueEnum for SessionSortOrderConfig {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum CloneRepoSwitchConfig {
+    Always,
+    Never,
+    Foreground,
+}
+
+impl ValueEnum for CloneRepoSwitchConfig {
+    fn value_variants<'a>() -> &'a [Self] {
+        &[Self::Always, Self::Never, Self::Foreground]
+    }
+
+    fn to_possible_value(&self) -> Option<clap::builder::PossibleValue> {
+        match self {
+            CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Always => Some(clap::builder::PossibleValue::new("Always")),
+            CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Never => Some(clap::builder::PossibleValue::new("Never")),
+            CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Foreground => {
+                Some(clap::builder::PossibleValue::new("Foreground"))
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct SessionConfig {
     pub create_script: Option<PathBuf>,
diff --git a/src/tmux.rs b/src/tmux.rs
index 0db369f..65ac481 100644
--- a/src/tmux.rs
+++ b/src/tmux.rs
@@ -76,6 +76,17 @@ impl Tmux {
         Tmux::stdout_to_string(output)
     }
 
+    pub fn current_session(&self, format: &str) -> String {
+        let output = self.execute_tmux_command(&[
+            "list-sessions",
+            "-F",
+            format,
+            "-f",
+            "#{session_attached}",
+        ]);
+        Tmux::stdout_to_string(output)
+    }
+
     pub fn kill_session(&self, session: &str) -> process::Output {
         self.execute_tmux_command(&["kill-session", "-t", session])
     }
diff --git a/tests/cli.rs b/tests/cli.rs
index aaf3b93..ccffa89 100644
--- a/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/tests/cli.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 use ratatui::style::Color;
 use std::{fs, str::FromStr};
 use tempfile::tempdir;
-use tms::configs::{Config, PickerColorConfig, SearchDirectory, SessionSortOrderConfig};
+use tms::configs::{
+    CloneRepoSwitchConfig, Config, PickerColorConfig, SearchDirectory, SessionSortOrderConfig,
+};
 
 #[test]
 fn tms_fails_with_missing_config() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ fn tms_config() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         bookmarks: None,
         session_configs: None,
         marks: None,
+        clone_repo_switch: Some(CloneRepoSwitchConfig::Always),
     };
 
     let mut tms = Command::cargo_bin("tms")?;
@@ -99,6 +102,8 @@ fn tms_config() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             &picker_info_color.to_string(),
             "--picker-prompt-color",
             &picker_prompt_color.to_string(),
+            "--clone-repo-switch",
+            "Always",
         ]);
 
     tms.assert().success().code(0);