diff --git a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
index e00444e58..34190744d 100644
--- a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
+++ b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     <property name="LuminancePercentage" type="u" access="readwrite" />
     <property name="SessionManagementProtocol" type="b" access="readwrite" />
     <property name="InhibitHwCursor" type="b" access="readwrite" />
+    <property name="CursorShapeProtocol" type="b" access="readwrite" />
 
   </interface>
 
diff --git a/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h b/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
index 416be2da5..b4e7efe75 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
+++ b/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
@@ -31,3 +31,5 @@ unsigned int meta_debug_control_get_luminance_percentage (MetaDebugControl *debu
 gboolean meta_debug_control_is_session_management_protocol_enabled (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
 
 gboolean meta_debug_control_is_hw_cursor_inhibited (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
+
+gboolean meta_debug_control_is_cursor_shape_protocol_enabled (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
diff --git a/src/core/meta-debug-control.c b/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
index bdf52ed08..e2b92baa8 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ meta_debug_control_init (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
   gboolean force_hdr, force_linear_blending,
            color_management_protocol;
   gboolean session_management_protocol;
+  gboolean cursor_shape_protocol;
   gboolean inhibit_hw_cursor;
 
   color_management_protocol =
@@ -197,6 +198,11 @@ meta_debug_control_init (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
     g_strcmp0 (getenv ("MUTTER_DEBUG_INHIBIT_HW_CURSOR"), "1") == 0;
   meta_dbus_debug_control_set_inhibit_hw_cursor (dbus_debug_control,
                                                  inhibit_hw_cursor);
+
+  cursor_shape_protocol =
+    g_strcmp0 (getenv ("MUTTER_DEBUG_CURSOR_SHAPE_PROTOCOL"), "1") == 0;
+  meta_dbus_debug_control_set_cursor_shape_protocol (dbus_debug_control,
+                                                     cursor_shape_protocol);
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -280,3 +286,12 @@ meta_debug_control_is_hw_cursor_inhibited (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
 
   return meta_dbus_debug_control_get_inhibit_hw_cursor (dbus_debug_control);
 }
+
+gboolean
+meta_debug_control_is_cursor_shape_protocol_enabled (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
+{
+  MetaDBusDebugControl *dbus_debug_control =
+    META_DBUS_DEBUG_CONTROL (debug_control);
+
+  return meta_dbus_debug_control_get_cursor_shape_protocol (dbus_debug_control);
+}