diff --git a/src/core/window-private.h b/src/core/window-private.h
index 8583eefca..582548c70 100644
--- a/src/core/window-private.h
+++ b/src/core/window-private.h
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@ struct _MetaWindow
   char *res_class;
   char *res_name;
   char *role;
-  char *wm_client_machine;
 
   char *startup_id;
   char *mutter_hints;
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index be5f45859..1e457a691 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -324,7 +324,6 @@ meta_window_finalize (GObject *object)
   if (window->cgroup_path)
     g_object_unref (window->cgroup_path);
 
-  g_free (window->wm_client_machine);
   g_free (window->startup_id);
   g_free (window->role);
   g_free (window->res_class);
@@ -1097,7 +1096,6 @@ meta_window_constructed (GObject *object)
   window->res_class = NULL;
   window->res_name = NULL;
   window->role = NULL;
-  window->wm_client_machine = NULL;
   window->is_remote = FALSE;
   window->startup_id = NULL;
 
@@ -6815,25 +6813,6 @@ meta_window_unit_cgroup_equal (MetaWindow *window1,
   return g_file_equal (window1_file, window2_file);
 }
 
-/**
- * meta_window_get_client_machine:
- * @window: a #MetaWindow
- *
- * Returns name of the client machine from which this windows was created,
- * if known (obtained from the WM_CLIENT_MACHINE property).
- *
- * Returns: (transfer none) (nullable): the machine name, or %NULL; the string
- * is owned by the window manager and should not be freed or modified by the
- * caller.
- */
-const char *
-meta_window_get_client_machine (MetaWindow *window)
-{
-  g_return_val_if_fail (META_IS_WINDOW (window), NULL);
-
-  return window->wm_client_machine;
-}
-
 /**
  * meta_window_is_remote:
  * @window: a #MetaWindow
diff --git a/src/meta/window.h b/src/meta/window.h
index 08980ef20..f4aa91f2b 100644
--- a/src/meta/window.h
+++ b/src/meta/window.h
@@ -332,9 +332,6 @@ guint32     meta_window_get_user_time (MetaWindow *window);
 META_EXPORT
 pid_t       meta_window_get_pid (MetaWindow *window);
 
-META_EXPORT
-const char *meta_window_get_client_machine (MetaWindow *window);
-
 META_EXPORT
 gboolean    meta_window_is_remote (MetaWindow *window);
 
diff --git a/src/x11/window-props.c b/src/x11/window-props.c
index 96bf35d58..500a19109 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-props.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-props.c
@@ -211,16 +211,18 @@ reload_wm_client_machine (MetaWindow    *window,
                           MetaPropValue *value,
                           gboolean       initial)
 {
-  g_free (window->wm_client_machine);
-  window->wm_client_machine = NULL;
+  MetaWindowX11Private *priv =
+    meta_window_x11_get_private (META_WINDOW_X11 (window));
+
+  g_clear_pointer (&priv->wm_client_machine, g_free);
 
   if (value->type != META_PROP_VALUE_INVALID)
-    window->wm_client_machine = g_strdup (value->v.str);
+    priv->wm_client_machine = g_strdup (value->v.str);
 
   meta_verbose ("Window has client machine \"%s\"",
-                window->wm_client_machine ? window->wm_client_machine : "unset");
+                priv->wm_client_machine ? priv->wm_client_machine : "unset");
 
-  if (window->wm_client_machine == NULL)
+  if (priv->wm_client_machine == NULL)
     {
       window->is_remote = FALSE;
     }
@@ -230,7 +232,7 @@ reload_wm_client_machine (MetaWindow    *window,
 
       gethostname (hostname, HOST_NAME_MAX + 1);
 
-      window->is_remote = g_strcmp0 (window->wm_client_machine, hostname) != 0;
+      window->is_remote = g_strcmp0 (priv->wm_client_machine, hostname) != 0;
     }
 }
 
@@ -503,6 +505,8 @@ set_title_text (MetaWindow  *window,
                 Atom         atom,
                 char       **target)
 {
+  MetaWindowX11Private *priv =
+    meta_window_x11_get_private (META_WINDOW_X11 (window));
   gboolean modified = FALSE;
 
   if (!target)
@@ -522,7 +526,7 @@ set_title_text (MetaWindow  *window,
   else if (meta_window_is_remote (window))
     {
       *target = g_strdup_printf (_("%s (on %s)"),
-                      title, window->wm_client_machine);
+                                 title, priv->wm_client_machine);
       modified = TRUE;
     }
   else
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11-private.h b/src/x11/window-x11-private.h
index 993a90465..7912d3ddb 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11-private.h
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11-private.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ struct _MetaWindowX11Private
   gboolean keys_grabbed;     /* normal keybindings grabbed */
   gboolean grab_on_frame;    /* grabs are on the frame */
 
+  char *wm_client_machine;
   char *sm_client_id;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11.c b/src/x11/window-x11.c
index 0cdc032b2..35c9f172f 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11.c
@@ -2149,6 +2149,7 @@ meta_window_x11_finalize (GObject *object)
   MetaWindowX11 *win = META_WINDOW_X11 (object);
   MetaWindowX11Private *priv = meta_window_x11_get_instance_private (win);
 
+  g_clear_pointer (&priv->wm_client_machine, g_free);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->sm_client_id, g_free);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_window_x11_parent_class)->finalize (object);