diff --git a/src/__stories__/useMouse.story.tsx b/src/__stories__/useMouse.story.tsx
index b699fea8..00f78ca3 100644
--- a/src/__stories__/useMouse.story.tsx
+++ b/src/__stories__/useMouse.story.tsx
@@ -1,25 +1,38 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 import {storiesOf} from '@storybook/react';
-import {useMouse} from '..';
+import {useMouse, useToggle} from '..';
 import ShowDocs from '../util/ShowDocs';
 
 const Demo = () => {
+  const [whenHovered, toggleWhenHovered] = useToggle(false);
   const ref = React.useRef(null);
-  const state = useMouse(ref);
+  const state = useMouse(ref, whenHovered)
 
   return (
     <>
       <pre>
         {JSON.stringify(state, null, 2)}
       </pre>
+      <label>
+        <input type="checkbox" checked={whenHovered} onChange={() => toggleWhenHovered()} />
+        When hovered
+      </label>
       <div
         ref={ref}
         style={{
+          position: 'relative',
           width: '400px',
           height: '400px',
           backgroundColor: 'whitesmoke',
         }}>
-        Move your mouse over me
+        <span style={{
+          position: 'absolute',
+          left: `${state.elX}px`,
+          top: `${state.elY}px`,
+          pointerEvents: 'none',
+          transform: 'scale(4)'}}>
+          🐭
+        </span>
       </div>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/src/useMouse.ts b/src/useMouse.ts
index c8b79efb..89b575b5 100644
--- a/src/useMouse.ts
+++ b/src/useMouse.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {useState, useEffect, useRef, RefObject} from 'react';
+import useToggle from "./useToggle";
 
 export interface State {
   docX: number;
@@ -11,8 +12,9 @@ export interface State {
   elW: number;
 }
 
-const useMouse = (ref: RefObject<HTMLElement>): State => {
+const useMouse = (ref: RefObject<HTMLElement>, whenHovered: boolean = false): State => {
   const frame = useRef(0);
+  const [active, setActive] = useToggle(false);
   const [state, setState] = useState<State>({
     docX: 0,
     docY: 0,
@@ -25,11 +27,29 @@ const useMouse = (ref: RefObject<HTMLElement>): State => {
   });
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const handler = (event: MouseEvent) => {
-      cancelAnimationFrame(frame.current)
+    const enterHandler = () => setActive(true)
+    const leaveHandler = () => setActive(false)
+
+    if (whenHovered && ref && ref.current) {
+      ref.current.addEventListener("mouseenter", enterHandler, false);
+      ref.current.addEventListener("mouseleave", leaveHandler, false);
+    }
+
+    return () => {
+      if (whenHovered && ref && ref.current) {
+        ref.current.removeEventListener("mouseenter", enterHandler);
+        ref.current.removeEventListener("mouseleave", leaveHandler);
+      }
+    };
+  }, [whenHovered, ref]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const moveHandler = (event: MouseEvent) => {
+      cancelAnimationFrame(frame.current);
+
       frame.current = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
         if (ref && ref.current) {
-          const {left, top, width, height} = ref.current.getBoundingClientRect()
+          const {left, top, width, height} = ref.current.getBoundingClientRect();
           const posX = left + window.scrollX;
           const posY = top + window.scrollY;
 
@@ -47,13 +67,17 @@ const useMouse = (ref: RefObject<HTMLElement>): State => {
       });
     }
 
-    document.addEventListener('mousemove', handler);
+    if (active || !whenHovered) {
+      document.addEventListener('mousemove', moveHandler);
+    }
 
     return () => {
-      cancelAnimationFrame(frame.current);
-      document.removeEventListener('mousemove', handler);
+      if (active || !whenHovered) {
+        cancelAnimationFrame(frame.current);
+        document.removeEventListener('mousemove', moveHandler);
+      }
     };
-  }, []);
+  }, [active, whenHovered, ref])
 
   return state;
 }