diff --git a/lisp/window.el b/lisp/window.el
index 7478047939..5e43c73ef3 100644
--- a/lisp/window.el
+++ b/lisp/window.el
@@ -4409,6 +4409,35 @@ switch-to-visible-buffer
   :version "24.1"
   :group 'windows)
 
+(make-obsolete-variable 'switch-to-visible-buffer
+                        'switch-to-buffer-skip-visible "27.1")
+
+(defcustom switch-to-buffer-skip-visible nil
+  "If nil, allow switching to an already visible buffer.
+If this variable is nil, `switch-to-prev-buffer' and
+`switch-to-next-buffer' allow switching to a buffer that is
+already visible in a window.
+
+If this variable is non-nil, it specifies the frames to skip when
+a window on that frame already shows the buffer.  In particular:
+
+- t means all windows on all existing frames.
+
+- `visible' means all windows on all visible frames.
+
+- 0 (the number zero) means all windows on all visible and
+    iconified frames.
+
+- `this' means all windows on the same frame only."
+  :type
+  '(choice (const :tag "Never" nil)
+	   (const :tag "Any frame" t)
+	   (const :tag "Visible frames" visible)
+	   (const :tag "Visible and iconified frames" 0)
+           (const :tag "This frame" this))
+  :version "27.1"
+  :group 'windows)
+
 (defun switch-to-prev-buffer (&optional window bury-or-kill)
   "In WINDOW switch to previous buffer.
 WINDOW must be a live window and defaults to the selected one.
@@ -4424,6 +4453,10 @@ switch-to-prev-buffer
 future invocation of `switch-to-prev-buffer' less likely switches
 to it.
 
+The option `switch-to-buffer-skip-visible' controls whether
+switching to a buffer already visible in another window is
+allowed.
+
 This function is called by `prev-buffer'."
   (interactive)
   (let* ((window (window-normalize-window window t))
@@ -4433,7 +4466,14 @@ switch-to-prev-buffer
 	 ;; Save this since it's destroyed by `set-window-buffer'.
 	 (next-buffers (window-next-buffers window))
          (pred (frame-parameter frame 'buffer-predicate))
-	 entry new-buffer killed-buffers visible)
+         (skip-visible
+          (cond
+           ((memq switch-to-buffer-skip-visible '(t visible 0))
+            switch-to-buffer-skip-visible)
+           ((or switch-to-buffer-skip-visible
+                (not switch-to-visible-buffer))
+            frame)))
+         entry new-buffer killed-buffers visible)
     (when (window-minibuffer-p window)
       ;; Don't switch in minibuffer window.
       (unless (setq window (minibuffer-selected-window))
@@ -4456,8 +4496,7 @@ switch-to-prev-buffer
 		   ;; When BURY-OR-KILL is nil, avoid switching to a
 		   ;; buffer in WINDOW's next buffers list.
 		   (or bury-or-kill (not (memq new-buffer next-buffers))))
-	  (if (and (not switch-to-visible-buffer)
-		   (get-buffer-window new-buffer frame))
+          (if (and skip-visible (get-buffer-window new-buffer skip-visible))
 	      ;; Try to avoid showing a buffer visible in some other
 	      ;; window.
 	      (setq visible new-buffer)
@@ -4482,8 +4521,7 @@ switch-to-prev-buffer
                      ;; Don't show a buffer shown in a side window before.
                      (not (buffer-local-value 'window--sides-shown buffer))
                      (or bury-or-kill (not (memq buffer next-buffers))))
-            (if (and (not switch-to-visible-buffer)
-                     (get-buffer-window buffer frame))
+            (if (and skip-visible (get-buffer-window buffer skip-visible))
                 ;; Try to avoid showing a buffer visible in some other window.
                 (unless visible
                   (setq visible buffer))
@@ -4547,7 +4585,13 @@ switch-to-next-buffer
   "In WINDOW switch to next buffer.
 WINDOW must be a live window and defaults to the selected one.
 Return the buffer switched to, nil if no suitable buffer could be
-found.  This function is called by `next-buffer'."
+found.
+
+The option `switch-to-buffer-skip-visible' controls whether
+switching to a buffer already visible in another window is
+allowed.
+
+This function is called by `next-buffer'."
   (interactive)
   (let* ((window (window-normalize-window window t))
 	 (frame (window-frame window))
@@ -4555,6 +4599,13 @@ switch-to-next-buffer
 	 (old-buffer (window-buffer window))
 	 (next-buffers (window-next-buffers window))
          (pred (frame-parameter frame 'buffer-predicate))
+         (skip-visible
+          (cond
+           ((memq switch-to-buffer-skip-visible '(t visible 0))
+            switch-to-buffer-skip-visible)
+           ((or switch-to-buffer-skip-visible
+                (not switch-to-visible-buffer))
+            frame)))
 	 new-buffer entry killed-buffers visible)
     (when (window-minibuffer-p window)
       ;; Don't switch in minibuffer window.
@@ -4589,8 +4640,7 @@ switch-to-next-buffer
                      ;; Don't show a buffer shown in a side window before.
                      (not (buffer-local-value 'window--sides-shown buffer))
                      (not (assq buffer (window-prev-buffers window))))
-            (if (and (not switch-to-visible-buffer)
-                     (get-buffer-window buffer frame))
+            (if (and skip-visible (get-buffer-window buffer skip-visible))
                 ;; Try to avoid showing a buffer visible in some other window.
                 (setq visible buffer)
               (setq new-buffer buffer)
@@ -4605,8 +4655,7 @@ switch-to-next-buffer
 				  (cons new-buffer killed-buffers))))
 		   (not (eq new-buffer old-buffer))
                    (or (null pred) (funcall pred new-buffer)))
-	  (if (and (not switch-to-visible-buffer)
-		   (get-buffer-window new-buffer frame))
+          (if (and skip-visible (get-buffer-window new-buffer skip-visible))
 	      ;; Try to avoid showing a buffer visible in some other window.
 	      (unless visible
 		(setq visible new-buffer))