A daylight sensor for automated window-shading applications that incorporates at least one (and optionally more than one) of three aspects: an optimized Field-of-View (FOV), angle-diversity sensing (via at least two sub-sensors with different FOVs, whose outputs are processed in a particular way to yield the overall sensor output), and multi-spectral sensing (via at least two sub-sensors with differing spectral responses and, optionally, different FOVs, whose outputs are processed in a particular way to yield the sensor output). These aspects improve the correlation between the sensor output and the subjectively-perceived daylight level (especially under glare-inducing conditions, such as in the presence of low-angle direct sunlight), thereby enabling more effective automatic control of daylight admitted into a room.