diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index a6ac134d4..8a7f81a28 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ Interactive improvements
 -  Control-Z is now available for binding (#7152).
 -  ``fish_key_reader`` sets the exit status to 0 when used with ``--help`` or ``--version`` (#6964).
 -  ``fish_key_reader`` and ``fish_indent`` send output from ``--version`` to standard output, matching other fish binaries (#6964).
+-  A new variable ``$status_generation`` is incremented only when the previous command produces a status. This can be used, for example, to check whether a failure status is a holdover due to a background job, or actually produced by the last run command.
 
 
 New or improved bindings
diff --git a/doc_src/index.rst b/doc_src/index.rst
index e08ff042d..769995769 100644
--- a/doc_src/index.rst
+++ b/doc_src/index.rst
@@ -1225,6 +1225,8 @@ You can change the settings of ``fish`` by changing the values of certain variab
 
 - ``status``, the `exit status <#variables-status>`_ of the last foreground job to exit. If the job was terminated through a signal, the exit status will be 128 plus the signal number.
 
+- ``status_generation``, the "generation" count of ``$status``. This will be incremented only when the previous command produced an explicit status. (For example, background jobs will not increment this).
+
 - ``USER``, the current username. This variable can be changed by the user.
 
 - ``version``, the version of the currently running fish (also available as ``FISH_VERSION`` for backward compatibility).
diff --git a/src/env.cpp b/src/env.cpp
index ba85aaada..15bc174b1 100644
--- a/src/env.cpp
+++ b/src/env.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ static const std::vector<electric_var_t> electric_variables{
     {L"hostname", electric_var_t::freadonly},
     {L"pipestatus", electric_var_t::freadonly | electric_var_t::fcomputed},
     {L"status", electric_var_t::freadonly | electric_var_t::fcomputed},
+    {L"status_generation", electric_var_t::freadonly | electric_var_t::fcomputed},
     {L"umask", electric_var_t::fcomputed},
     {L"version", electric_var_t::freadonly},
 };
@@ -701,6 +702,9 @@ maybe_t<env_var_t> env_scoped_impl_t::try_get_computed(const wcstring &key) cons
     } else if (key == L"status") {
         const auto &js = perproc_data().statuses;
         return env_var_t(L"status", to_string(js.status));
+    } else if (key == L"status_generation") {
+        auto status_generation = reader_status_count();
+        return env_var_t(L"status_generation", to_string(status_generation));
     } else if (key == L"fish_kill_signal") {
         const auto &js = perproc_data().statuses;
         return env_var_t(L"fish_kill_signal", to_string(js.kill_signal));
diff --git a/src/parse_execution.cpp b/src/parse_execution.cpp
index 5e383eb8f..eee1fc14e 100644
--- a/src/parse_execution.cpp
+++ b/src/parse_execution.cpp
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ end_execution_reason_t parse_execution_context_t::run_function_statement(
     buffered_output_stream_t errs(0);
     io_streams_t streams(outs, errs);
     int err = builtin_function(*parser, streams, arguments, pstree, statement);
+    parser->libdata().status_count++;
     parser->set_last_statuses(statuses_t::just(err));
 
     wcstring errtext = errs.contents();
diff --git a/src/parser.cpp b/src/parser.cpp
index 506565623..183f0e353 100644
--- a/src/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/parser.cpp
@@ -649,7 +649,8 @@ eval_res_t parser_t::eval(const parsed_source_ref_t &ps, const io_chain_t &io,
         auto status = proc_status_t::from_exit_code(get_last_status());
         bool break_expand = false;
         bool was_empty = true;
-        return eval_res_t{status, break_expand, was_empty};
+        bool no_status = true;
+        return eval_res_t{status, break_expand, was_empty, no_status};
     }
 }
 
@@ -713,8 +714,10 @@ eval_res_t parser_t::eval_node(const parsed_source_ref_t &ps, const T &node,
 
     // Check the exec count so we know if anything got executed.
     const size_t prev_exec_count = libdata().exec_count;
+    const size_t prev_status_count = libdata().status_count;
     end_execution_reason_t reason = execution_context->eval_node(node, scope_block);
     const size_t new_exec_count = libdata().exec_count;
+    const size_t new_status_count = libdata().status_count;
 
     exc.restore();
     this->pop_block(scope_block);
@@ -728,7 +731,8 @@ eval_res_t parser_t::eval_node(const parsed_source_ref_t &ps, const T &node,
         auto status = proc_status_t::from_exit_code(this->get_last_status());
         bool break_expand = (reason == end_execution_reason_t::error);
         bool was_empty = !break_expand && prev_exec_count == new_exec_count;
-        return eval_res_t{status, break_expand, was_empty};
+        bool no_status = prev_status_count == new_status_count;
+        return eval_res_t{status, break_expand, was_empty, no_status};
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/parser.h b/src/parser.h
index 356f2d177..28c4a96c5 100644
--- a/src/parser.h
+++ b/src/parser.h
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ struct library_data_t {
     /// A counter incremented every time a command executes.
     uint64_t exec_count{0};
 
+    /// A counter incremented every time a command produces a $status.
+    uint64_t status_count{0};
+
     /// Last reader run count.
     uint64_t last_exec_run_counter{UINT64_MAX};
 
@@ -219,9 +222,12 @@ struct eval_res_t {
     /// If set, no commands were executed and there we no errors.
     bool was_empty{false};
 
+    /// If set, no commands produced a $status value.
+    bool no_status{false};
+
     /* implicit */ eval_res_t(proc_status_t status, bool break_expand = false,
-                              bool was_empty = false)
-        : status(status), break_expand(break_expand), was_empty(was_empty) {}
+                              bool was_empty = false, bool no_status = false)
+        : status(status), break_expand(break_expand), was_empty(was_empty), no_status(no_status) {}
 };
 
 class parser_t : public std::enable_shared_from_this<parser_t> {
diff --git a/src/proc.cpp b/src/proc.cpp
index b530bb57d..150f0dddd 100644
--- a/src/proc.cpp
+++ b/src/proc.cpp
@@ -998,6 +998,7 @@ void job_t::continue_job(parser_t &parser, bool in_foreground) {
         const auto &p = processes.back();
         if (p->status.normal_exited() || p->status.signal_exited()) {
             parser.set_last_statuses(get_statuses());
+            parser.libdata().status_count++;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index cbc92c538..50c2f3af3 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -2171,7 +2171,7 @@ void set_env_cmd_duration(struct timeval *after, struct timeval *before, env_sta
     vars.set_one(ENV_CMD_DURATION, ENV_UNEXPORT, std::to_wstring((secs * 1000) + (usecs / 1000)));
 }
 
-void reader_run_command(parser_t &parser, const wcstring &cmd) {
+eval_res_t reader_run_command(parser_t &parser, const wcstring &cmd) {
     struct timeval time_before, time_after;
 
     wcstring ft = tok_command(cmd);
@@ -2185,7 +2185,7 @@ void reader_run_command(parser_t &parser, const wcstring &cmd) {
 
     gettimeofday(&time_before, nullptr);
 
-    parser.eval(cmd, io_chain_t{});
+    auto eval_res = parser.eval(cmd, io_chain_t{});
     job_reap(parser, true);
 
     gettimeofday(&time_after, nullptr);
@@ -2202,6 +2202,8 @@ void reader_run_command(parser_t &parser, const wcstring &cmd) {
     if (have_proc_stat()) {
         proc_update_jiffies(parser);
     }
+
+    return eval_res;
 }
 
 static parser_test_error_bits_t reader_shell_test(parser_t &parser, const wcstring &b) {
@@ -2457,6 +2459,13 @@ static relaxed_atomic_t<uint64_t> run_count{0};
 /// Returns the current interactive loop count
 uint64_t reader_run_count() { return run_count; }
 
+static relaxed_atomic_t<uint64_t> status_count{0};
+
+/// Returns the current "generation" of interactive status.
+/// This is not incremented if the command being run produces no status,
+/// (e.g. background job, or variable assignment).
+uint64_t reader_status_count() { return status_count; }
+
 /// Read interactively. Read input from stdin while providing editing facilities.
 static int read_i(parser_t &parser) {
     reader_config_t conf;
@@ -2499,8 +2508,11 @@ static int read_i(parser_t &parser) {
             data->command_line_changed(&data->command_line);
             wcstring_list_t argv(1, command);
             event_fire_generic(parser, L"fish_preexec", &argv);
-            reader_run_command(parser, command);
+            auto eval_res = reader_run_command(parser, command);
             signal_clear_cancel();
+            if (!eval_res.no_status) {
+                status_count++;
+            }
             event_fire_generic(parser, L"fish_postexec", &argv);
             // Allow any pending history items to be returned in the history array.
             if (data->history) {
diff --git a/src/reader.h b/src/reader.h
index be468084a..1307e1a16 100644
--- a/src/reader.h
+++ b/src/reader.h
@@ -278,4 +278,8 @@ wcstring completion_apply_to_command_line(const wcstring &val_str, complete_flag
 /// been executed between invocations of code.
 uint64_t reader_run_count();
 
+/// Returns the current "generation" of interactive status. Useful for determining whether the
+/// previous command produced a status.
+uint64_t reader_status_count();
+
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/postexec.py b/tests/pexpects/postexec.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7be94535b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pexpects/postexec.py
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from pexpect_helper import SpawnedProc
+
+sp = SpawnedProc()
+sendline, expect_prompt, expect_str = sp.sendline, sp.expect_prompt, sp.expect_str
+
+# Test fish_postexec and $status_generation for interactive shells.
+expect_prompt()
+
+sendline("function test_fish_postexec --on-event fish_postexec; printf 'pipestatus:%s, generation:%d, command:%s\\n' (string join '|' $pipestatus) $status_generation $argv; end")
+expect_prompt()
+
+generation = 1
+
+# fish_postexec is called when foreground job ends.
+sendline("true")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0, generation:%d, command:true" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Command has multiple jobs.
+sendline("true;false")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:1, generation:%d, command:true;false" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Command is a pipeline.
+sendline("true|false")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1, generation:%d, command:true|false" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Does not increment $status_generation for background jobs.
+# status, pipestatus remain unchanged
+sendline("sleep 1000 &")
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1, generation:%d, command:sleep 1000 &" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# multiple backgrounded jobs
+sendline("sleep 1000 &; sleep 2000 &")
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1, generation:%d, command:sleep 1000 &; sleep 2000 &" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Increments $status_generation if any job was foreground.
+sendline("false|true; sleep 1000 &")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:1|0, generation:%d, command:false|true; sleep 1000 &" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+sendline("sleep 1000 &; true|false|true")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1|0, generation:%d, command:sleep 1000 &; true|false|true" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Increments $status_generation for empty if/while blocks.
+sendline("if true;end")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0, generation:%d, command:if true;end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+sendline("while false;end")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0, generation:%d, command:while false;end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# or non-matching if.
+sendline("if false;false;end")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0, generation:%d, command:if false;false;end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# or a function definition.
+# This is an implementation detail, but the test case should prevent regressions.
+sendline("function fail; false; end")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0, generation:%d, command:function fail; false; end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# This is just to set a memorable pipestatus.
+sendline("true|false|true")
+generation += 1
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1|0")
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Does not increment $status_generation for empty begin/end block.
+sendline("begin;end")
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1|0, generation:%d, command:begin;end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Or begin/end block with only backgrounded jobs.
+sendline("begin; sleep 200 &; sleep 400 &; end")
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1|0, generation:%d, command:begin; sleep 200 &; sleep 400 &; end" % generation)
+expect_prompt()
+
+# Or a combination of begin/end block and backgrounded job.
+sendline("begin; sleep 200 &; end; sleep 400 &")
+expect_str("pipestatus:0|1|0, generation:%d, command:begin; sleep 200 &; end; sleep 400 &" % generation)
+expect_prompt()