diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index b18ef82b2..b0a6cb318 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - macOS: Disable macOS one time code autofill popups (:pull:`10250`)
 
+- Add support for DECSTR soft screen reset escape code (:iss:`10263`)
+
 0.47.4 [2026-06-15]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index cf5fff944..ae6e041d3 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -173,13 +173,13 @@ new_screen_object(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
 
 static Line* range_line_(Screen *self, int y);
 
-void
-screen_reset(Screen *self) {
+static void
+do_screen_reset(Screen *self, bool is_hard_reset) {
     screen_pause_rendering(self, false, 0);
     self->dnd_chunking.active = false;
     self->extra_cursors.count = 0; zero_at_ptr(&self->extra_cursors.color); self->extra_cursors.dirty = true;
     self->main_pointer_shape_stack.count = 0; self->alternate_pointer_shape_stack.count = 0;
-    if (self->linebuf == self->alt_linebuf) screen_toggle_screen_buffer(self, true, true);
+    if (is_hard_reset && self->linebuf == self->alt_linebuf) screen_toggle_screen_buffer(self, true, true);
     if (screen_is_overlay_active(self)) {
         deactivate_overlay_line(self);
         // Cancel IME composition
@@ -197,11 +197,13 @@ screen_reset(Screen *self) {
     self->last_graphic_char = 0;
     self->main_savepoint.is_valid = false;
     self->alt_savepoint.is_valid = false;
-    linebuf_clear(self->linebuf, BLANK_CHAR);
-    historybuf_clear(self->historybuf);
-    clear_hyperlink_pool(self->hyperlink_pool);
-    grman_clear(self->main_grman, false, self->cell_size);  // dont delete images in scrollback
-    grman_clear(self->alt_grman, true, self->cell_size);
+    if (is_hard_reset) {
+        linebuf_clear(self->linebuf, BLANK_CHAR);
+        historybuf_clear(self->historybuf);
+        clear_hyperlink_pool(self->hyperlink_pool);
+        grman_clear(self->main_grman, false, self->cell_size);  // dont delete images in scrollback
+        grman_clear(self->alt_grman, true, self->cell_size);
+    }
     self->modes = empty_modes;
     self->saved_modes = empty_modes;
     self->active_hyperlink_id = 0;
@@ -218,7 +220,17 @@ screen_reset(Screen *self) {
     screen_cursor_position(self, 1, 1);
     set_dynamic_color(self, 111, NULL);  // does default_bg_changed processing
     colorprofile_reset(self->color_profile);
-    CALLBACK("on_reset", NULL)
+    CALLBACK("on_reset", "O", is_hard_reset ? Py_True : Py_False);
+}
+
+void
+screen_reset(Screen *self) { do_screen_reset(self, true); }
+
+void
+screen_soft_reset(Screen *self) {
+    index_type x = self->cursor->x, y = self->cursor->y;
+    do_screen_reset(self, false);
+    self->cursor->x = x; self->cursor->y = y;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/kitty/screen.h b/kitty/screen.h
index 964fabfc5..cddfcbb67 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.h
+++ b/kitty/screen.h
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ void screen_scroll(Screen *self, unsigned int count);
 void screen_reverse_scroll(Screen *self, unsigned int count);
 void screen_reverse_scroll_and_fill_from_scrollback(Screen *self, unsigned int count);
 void screen_reset(Screen *self);
+void screen_soft_reset(Screen *self);
 void screen_set_tab_stop(Screen *self);
 void screen_tab(Screen *self);
 void screen_backtab(Screen *self, unsigned int);
diff --git a/kitty/vt-parser.c b/kitty/vt-parser.c
index 012b8f6f2..6f7fe49bc 100644
--- a/kitty/vt-parser.c
+++ b/kitty/vt-parser.c
@@ -1380,11 +1380,19 @@ dispatch_csi(PS *self) {
             }
             break;
         case DECSTR:
-            if (end_modifier == '$') {
-                // DECRQM
-                CALL_CSI_HANDLER1P(report_mode_status, 0, '?');
-            } else {
-                REPORT_ERROR("Unknown DECSTR CSI sequence with start and end modifiers: '%c' '%c'", start_modifier, end_modifier);
+            switch (end_modifier) {
+                case '$': // DECRQM
+                    CALL_CSI_HANDLER1P(report_mode_status, 0, '?'); break;
+                case '!': // Soft reset
+                    if (num_params) {
+                        REPORT_ERROR("DECSTR escape code with parameters is invalid");
+                    } else {
+                        REPORT_COMMAND(screen_soft_reset);
+                        screen_soft_reset(self->screen);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    REPORT_ERROR("Unknown CSI p sequence with start and end modifiers: '%c' '%c'", start_modifier, end_modifier); break;
             }
             break;
         case 'm':
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 794d3bb7d..ff47fc309 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -1499,7 +1499,7 @@ class Window:
         b |= b << 8
         self.screen.send_escape_code_to_child(ESC_OSC, f'{code};rgb:{r:04x}/{g:04x}/{b:04x}')
 
-    def on_reset(self) -> None:
+    def on_reset(self, is_hard_reset: bool = True) -> None:
         from .progress import ProgressState
         if self.progress.state is not ProgressState.unset:
             self.progress.update(0)  # unset
diff --git a/kitty_tests/__init__.py b/kitty_tests/__init__.py
index 8c2c4a602..9da10a04e 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/__init__.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/__init__.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class Callbacks:
     def notify_child_of_resize(self):
         self.num_of_resize_events += 1
 
-    def on_reset(self) -> None:
+    def on_reset(self, is_hard_reset: bool = True) -> None:
         if self.pty is not None:
             self.pty.reset_termios_state()
 
diff --git a/kitty_tests/screen.py b/kitty_tests/screen.py
index f3d8f9647..c54344865 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/screen.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/screen.py
@@ -1864,6 +1864,57 @@ class TestScreen(BaseTest):
             sc(2, 1, 2, 3, slot=slot)
             sc(5, 13, slot=slot)
 
+    def test_soft_reset(self):
+        SOFT_RESET = b'\x1b[!p'  # DECSTR sequence
+
+        # Screen content is preserved (unlike hard reset)
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        s.draw('hello')
+        parse_bytes(s, SOFT_RESET)
+        self.ae(str(s.line(0)), 'hello')
+
+        # Hard reset clears screen content; soft reset does not
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        s.draw('hello')
+        s.reset()
+        self.ae(str(s.line(0)), '')
+
+        # Cursor SGR attributes are cleared
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        s.select_graphic_rendition(1)   # bold
+        s.select_graphic_rendition(31)  # red fg
+        self.assertTrue(s.cursor.bold)
+        self.assertNotEqual(s.cursor.fg, 0)
+        parse_bytes(s, SOFT_RESET)
+        self.assertFalse(s.cursor.bold)
+        self.ae(s.cursor.fg, 0)
+
+        # Cursor position is preserved
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        s.cursor_position(3, 4)
+        self.ae((s.cursor.y, s.cursor.x), (2, 3))
+        parse_bytes(s, SOFT_RESET)
+        self.ae((s.cursor.y, s.cursor.x), (2, 3))
+
+        # Insert mode (IRM) is cleared
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        s.draw('abcde')
+        s.set_mode(IRM)
+        parse_bytes(s, SOFT_RESET)
+        # without IRM, drawing overwrites
+        s.cursor.x = 0
+        s.draw('X')
+        self.ae(str(s.line(0)), 'Xbcde')
+
+        # Alternate screen is NOT exited on soft reset
+        s = self.create_screen()
+        parse_bytes(s, b'\x1b[?1049h')  # enter alternate screen
+        self.assertFalse(s.is_main_linebuf())
+        parse_bytes(s, SOFT_RESET)
+        self.assertFalse(s.is_main_linebuf())
+        s.reset()
+        self.assertTrue(s.is_main_linebuf())
+
 
 def detect_url(self, scale=1):
     s = self.create_screen(cols=30 * scale)