diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
index e430bf790..61548d2f3 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
@@ -3985,12 +3985,17 @@ meta_seat_impl_new (MetaSeatNative     *seat_native,
                     const char         *seat_id,
                     MetaSeatNativeFlag  flags)
 {
-  return g_initable_new (META_TYPE_SEAT_IMPL,
-                         NULL, NULL,
-                         "seat", seat_native,
-                         "seat-id", seat_id,
-                         "flags", flags,
-                         NULL);
+  return g_object_new (META_TYPE_SEAT_IMPL,
+                       "seat", seat_native,
+                       "seat-id", seat_id,
+                       "flags", flags,
+                       NULL);
+}
+
+void
+meta_seat_impl_setup (MetaSeatImpl *seat_impl)
+{
+  g_initable_init (G_INITABLE (seat_impl), NULL, NULL);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.h b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.h
index dced4d1b5..56eb5d228 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.h
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ MetaSeatImpl * meta_seat_impl_new (MetaSeatNative     *seat_native,
                                    const char         *seat_id,
                                    MetaSeatNativeFlag  flags);
 
+void meta_seat_impl_setup (MetaSeatImpl *seat_impl);
+
 void meta_seat_impl_start (MetaSeatImpl *seat_impl);
 
 void meta_seat_impl_destroy (MetaSeatImpl *seat_impl);
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
index ed3842bcf..2b907b699 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ meta_seat_native_constructed (GObject *object)
   MetaSeatNative *seat = META_SEAT_NATIVE (object);
 
   seat->impl = meta_seat_impl_new (seat, seat->seat_id, seat->flags);
+  meta_seat_impl_setup (seat->impl);
   g_signal_connect (seat->impl, "kbd-a11y-flags-changed",
                     G_CALLBACK (proxy_kbd_a11y_flags_changed), seat);
   g_signal_connect (seat->impl, "kbd-a11y-mods-state-changed",