diff --git a/docs/userguide b/docs/userguide
index fdfb121b..bfb3da66 100644
--- a/docs/userguide
+++ b/docs/userguide
@@ -1044,38 +1044,34 @@ opposite window will be focused when trying to move the focus over the edge of
 a container (and there are no other containers in that direction) -- the focus
 wraps.
 
-If desired, you can disable this behavior using the +focus_wrapping+
-configuration directive:
+If desired, you can disable this behavior by setting the +focus_wrapping+
+configuration directive to the value +no+.
 
-*Syntax*:
----------------------
-focus_wrapping yes|no
----------------------
-
-*Example*:
------------------
-focus_wrapping no
------------------
-
-By default, focus wrapping does not occur if there is another window or
-container in the specified direction, and focus will instead be set on that
-window or container. This is the default behavior so you can navigate to all
-your windows without having to use +focus parent+.
+When enabled, focus wrapping does not occur by default if there is another
+window or container in the specified direction, and focus will instead be set
+on that window or container. This is the default behavior so you can navigate
+to all your windows without having to use +focus parent+.
 
 If you want the focus to *always* wrap and you are aware of using +focus
-parent+ to switch to different containers, you can use the
-+force_focus_wrapping+ configuration directive. After enabling it, the focus
-will always wrap.
+parent+ to switch to different containers, you can instead set +focus_wrapping+
+to the value +force+.
 
 *Syntax*:
 ---------------------------
-force_focus_wrapping yes|no
+focus_wrapping yes|no|force
+
+# Legacy syntax, equivalent to "focus_wrapping force"
+force_focus_wrapping yes
 ---------------------------
 
-*Example*:
-------------------------
-force_focus_wrapping yes
-------------------------
+*Examples*:
+-----------------
+# Disable focus wrapping
+focus_wrapping no
+
+# Force focus wrapping
+focus_wrapping force
+-----------------
 
 === Forcing Xinerama
 
diff --git a/include/configuration.h b/include/configuration.h
index 33df2c2d..8f1ce332 100644
--- a/include/configuration.h
+++ b/include/configuration.h
@@ -142,18 +142,19 @@ struct Config {
      * direction in which there are no more containers to focus) will
      * cause the focus to wrap to the opposite edge of the current
      * container. When it is disabled, nothing happens; the current
-     * focus is preserved.  */
-    bool focus_wrapping;
-
-    /** Think of the following layout: Horizontal workspace with a tabbed
-     * con on the left of the screen and a terminal on the right of the
-     * screen. You are in the second container in the tabbed container and
-     * focus to the right. By default, i3 will set focus to the terminal on
-     * the right. If you are in the first container in the tabbed container
-     * however, focusing to the left will wrap. This option forces i3 to
-     * always wrap, which will result in you having to use "focus parent"
-     * more often. */
-    bool force_focus_wrapping;
+     * focus is preserved.
+     *
+     * Additionally, focus wrapping may be forced. Think of the
+     * following layout: Horizontal workspace with a tabbed con on the
+     * left of the screen and a terminal on the right of the
+     * screen. You are in the second container in the tabbed container
+     * and focus to the right. By default, i3 will set focus to the
+     * terminal on the right. If you are in the first container in the
+     * tabbed container however, focusing to the left will
+     * wrap. Setting focus_wrapping to FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE forces i3
+     * to always wrap, which will result in you having to use "focus
+     * parent" more often. */
+    focus_wrapping_t focus_wrapping;
 
     /** By default, use the RandR API for multi-monitor setups.
      * Unfortunately, the nVidia binary graphics driver doesn't support
diff --git a/include/data.h b/include/data.h
index 7411ac20..258ea94f 100644
--- a/include/data.h
+++ b/include/data.h
@@ -133,6 +133,15 @@ typedef enum {
     POINTER_WARPING_NONE = 1
 } warping_t;
 
+/**
+ * Focus wrapping modes.
+ */
+typedef enum {
+    FOCUS_WRAPPING_OFF = 0,
+    FOCUS_WRAPPING_ON = 1,
+    FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE = 2
+} focus_wrapping_t;
+
 /**
  * Stores a rectangle, for example the size of a window, the child window etc.
  * It needs to be packed so that the compiler will not add any padding bytes.
diff --git a/parser-specs/config.spec b/parser-specs/config.spec
index 3a10bbc1..6b826543 100644
--- a/parser-specs/config.spec
+++ b/parser-specs/config.spec
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ state MOUSE_WARPING:
 
 # focus_wrapping
 state FOCUS_WRAPPING:
-  value = word
+  value = '1', 'yes', 'true', 'on', 'enable', 'active', '0', 'no', 'false', 'off', 'disable', 'inactive', 'force'
       -> call cfg_focus_wrapping($value)
 
 # force_focus_wrapping
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index c8e9bd6b..24c7b541 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ void load_configuration(xcb_connection_t *conn, const char *override_configpath,
     if (config.workspace_urgency_timer == 0)
         config.workspace_urgency_timer = 0.5;
 
-    config.focus_wrapping = true;
+    config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_ON;
 
     parse_configuration(override_configpath, true);
 
diff --git a/src/config_directives.c b/src/config_directives.c
index 41d21dec..8d5cf1f0 100644
--- a/src/config_directives.c
+++ b/src/config_directives.c
@@ -265,11 +265,26 @@ CFGFUN(disable_randr15, const char *value) {
 }
 
 CFGFUN(focus_wrapping, const char *value) {
-    config.focus_wrapping = eval_boolstr(value);
+    if (strcmp(value, "force") == 0) {
+        config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE;
+    } else if (eval_boolstr(value)) {
+        config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_ON;
+    } else {
+        config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_OFF;
+    }
 }
 
 CFGFUN(force_focus_wrapping, const char *value) {
-    config.force_focus_wrapping = eval_boolstr(value);
+    /* Legacy syntax. */
+    if (eval_boolstr(value)) {
+        config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE;
+    } else {
+        /* For "force_focus_wrapping off", don't enable or disable
+         * focus wrapping, just ensure it's not forced. */
+        if (config.focus_wrapping == FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE) {
+            config.focus_wrapping = FOCUS_WRAPPING_ON;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 CFGFUN(workspace_back_and_forth, const char *value) {
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index 97c02798..fc9526e6 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ static bool _tree_next(Con *con, char way, orientation_t orientation, bool wrap)
         next = TAILQ_PREV(current, nodes_head, nodes);
 
     if (!next) {
-        if (!config.force_focus_wrapping) {
+        if (config.focus_wrapping != FOCUS_WRAPPING_FORCE) {
             /* If there is no next/previous container, we check if we can focus one
              * when going higher (without wrapping, though). If so, we are done, if
              * not, we wrap */
@@ -675,7 +675,8 @@ static bool _tree_next(Con *con, char way, orientation_t orientation, bool wrap)
  *
  */
 void tree_next(char way, orientation_t orientation) {
-    _tree_next(focused, way, orientation, config.focus_wrapping);
+    _tree_next(focused, way, orientation,
+               config.focus_wrapping != FOCUS_WRAPPING_OFF);
 }
 
 /*