diff --git a/src/st/st-widget.c b/src/st/st-widget.c
index 2ee74af08..7e03028c0 100644
--- a/src/st/st-widget.c
+++ b/src/st/st-widget.c
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ static gboolean st_widget_real_navigate_focus (StWidget         *widget,
 static AtkObject * st_widget_get_accessible (ClutterActor *actor);
 static gboolean    st_widget_has_accessible (ClutterActor *actor);
 
+static void
+st_widget_update_insensitive (StWidget *widget)
+{
+  if (clutter_actor_get_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (widget)))
+    st_widget_remove_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
+  else
+    st_widget_add_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
+}
+
 static void
 st_widget_set_property (GObject      *gobject,
                         guint         prop_id,
@@ -247,6 +256,14 @@ st_widget_get_property (GObject    *gobject,
     }
 }
 
+static void
+st_widget_constructed (GObject *gobject)
+{
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (st_widget_parent_class)->constructed (gobject);
+
+  st_widget_update_insensitive (ST_WIDGET (gobject));
+}
+
 static void
 st_widget_remove_transition (StWidget *widget)
 {
@@ -840,6 +857,7 @@ st_widget_class_init (StWidgetClass *klass)
 
   gobject_class->set_property = st_widget_set_property;
   gobject_class->get_property = st_widget_get_property;
+  gobject_class->constructed = st_widget_constructed;
   gobject_class->dispose = st_widget_dispose;
   gobject_class->finalize = st_widget_finalize;
 
@@ -1471,10 +1489,7 @@ st_widget_reactive_notify (StWidget   *widget,
 {
   StWidgetPrivate *priv = st_widget_get_instance_private (widget);
 
-  if (clutter_actor_get_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (widget)))
-    st_widget_remove_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
-  else
-    st_widget_add_style_pseudo_class (widget, "insensitive");
+  st_widget_update_insensitive (widget);
 
   if (priv->track_hover)
     st_widget_sync_hover(widget);
diff --git a/src/st/test-theme.c b/src/st/test-theme.c
index d38b41f03..6aff82b0d 100644
--- a/src/st/test-theme.c
+++ b/src/st/test-theme.c
@@ -465,6 +465,8 @@ test_pseudo_class (void)
 
   /* Test the StWidget add/remove pseudo_class interfaces */
   label = st_label_new ("foo");
+  /* Make reactive, so we don't get the automatic :insensitive style */
+  clutter_actor_set_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (label), TRUE);
   clutter_actor_add_child (stage, CLUTTER_ACTOR (label));
 
   labelNode = st_widget_get_theme_node (label);