diff --git a/config/config.default.yaml b/config/config.default.yaml
index 8014ed09..a6df173b 100644
--- a/config/config.default.yaml
+++ b/config/config.default.yaml
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ remote:
   ssh: ""
   path: ""
 
-focus_weights: false
-
 # docs in https://pypsa-eur.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuration.html#run
 run:
   name: ""
@@ -600,6 +598,7 @@ costs:
 
 # docs in https://pypsa-eur.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuration.html#clustering
 clustering:
+  focus_weights: false
   simplify_network:
     to_substations: false
     algorithm: kmeans # choose from: [hac, kmeans]
diff --git a/doc/configtables/clustering.csv b/doc/configtables/clustering.csv
index 5f52c222..e831ca84 100644
--- a/doc/configtables/clustering.csv
+++ b/doc/configtables/clustering.csv
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ,Unit,Values,Description
+focus_weights,,,Optionally specify the focus weights for the clustering of countries. For instance: `DE: 0.8` will distribute 80% of all nodes to Germany and 20% to the rest of the countries.
 simplify_network,,,
 -- to_substations,bool,"{'true','false'}","Aggregates all nodes without power injection (positive or negative, i.e. demand or generation) to electrically closest ones"
 -- algorithm,str,"One of {‘kmeans’, ‘hac’, ‘modularity‘}",
diff --git a/doc/configtables/toplevel.csv b/doc/configtables/toplevel.csv
index a27623bd..67954389 100644
--- a/doc/configtables/toplevel.csv
+++ b/doc/configtables/toplevel.csv
@@ -10,4 +10,3 @@ private,,,
 remote,,,
 -- ssh,--,,Optionally specify the SSH of a remote cluster to be synchronized.
 -- path,--,,Optionally specify the file path within the remote cluster to be synchronized.
-focus_weights,,,Optionally specify the focus weights for the clustering of countries. For instance: `DE: 0.8` will distribute 80% of all nodes to Germany and 20% to the rest of the countries.
diff --git a/doc/release_notes.rst b/doc/release_notes.rst
index bdab6fae..ee5a954b 100644
--- a/doc/release_notes.rst
+++ b/doc/release_notes.rst
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ Upcoming Release
 
 * Split configuration to enable SMR and SMR CC.
 
+* The configuration setting for country focus weights when clustering the
+  network has been moved from ``focus_weights:`` to ``clustering:
+  focus_weights:``. Backwards compatibility to old config files is maintained.
+
 * The ``mock_snakemake`` function can now be used with a Snakefile from a different directory using the new ``root_dir`` argument.
 
 * Merged option to extend geographical scope to Ukraine and Moldova. These
diff --git a/rules/build_electricity.smk b/rules/build_electricity.smk
index cbbaedab..873e7c3a 100644
--- a/rules/build_electricity.smk
+++ b/rules/build_electricity.smk
@@ -427,7 +427,9 @@ rule simplify_network:
     params:
         simplify_network=config["clustering"]["simplify_network"],
         aggregation_strategies=config["clustering"].get("aggregation_strategies", {}),
-        focus_weights=config.get("focus_weights", None),
+        focus_weights=config["clustering"].get(
+            "focus_weights", config.get("focus_weights")
+        ),
         renewable_carriers=config["electricity"]["renewable_carriers"],
         max_hours=config["electricity"]["max_hours"],
         length_factor=config["lines"]["length_factor"],
@@ -462,7 +464,9 @@ rule cluster_network:
         cluster_network=config["clustering"]["cluster_network"],
         aggregation_strategies=config["clustering"].get("aggregation_strategies", {}),
         custom_busmap=config["enable"].get("custom_busmap", False),
-        focus_weights=config.get("focus_weights", None),
+        focus_weights=config["clustering"].get(
+            "focus_weights", config.get("focus_weights")
+        ),
         renewable_carriers=config["electricity"]["renewable_carriers"],
         conventional_carriers=config["electricity"].get("conventional_carriers", []),
         max_hours=config["electricity"]["max_hours"],
diff --git a/scripts/cluster_network.py b/scripts/cluster_network.py
index df72e633..0936db79 100644
--- a/scripts/cluster_network.py
+++ b/scripts/cluster_network.py
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ Relevant Settings
     clustering:
       cluster_network:
       aggregation_strategies:
-
-    focus_weights:
+      focus_weights:
 
     solving:
         solver: