diff --git a/src/core/display-private.h b/src/core/display-private.h
index 1541a6318..d8064f12e 100644
--- a/src/core/display-private.h
+++ b/src/core/display-private.h
@@ -426,8 +426,14 @@ MetaWindow *meta_display_get_window_from_id (MetaDisplay *display,
                                              uint64_t     window_id);
 uint64_t    meta_display_generate_window_id (MetaDisplay *display);
 
-gboolean meta_display_init_x11     (MetaDisplay  *display,
-                                    GError      **error);
+void meta_display_init_x11 (MetaDisplay         *display,
+                            GCancellable        *cancellable,
+                            GAsyncReadyCallback  callback,
+                            gpointer             user_data);
+gboolean meta_display_init_x11_finish (MetaDisplay   *display,
+                                       GAsyncResult  *result,
+                                       GError       **error);
+
 void     meta_display_shutdown_x11 (MetaDisplay  *display);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 31346fae4..13f54c54b 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -656,13 +656,45 @@ on_ui_scaling_factor_changed (MetaSettings *settings,
   meta_display_reload_cursor (display);
 }
 
-gboolean
-meta_display_init_x11 (MetaDisplay  *display,
-                       GError      **error)
+static gboolean
+meta_display_init_x11_display (MetaDisplay  *display,
+                               GError      **error)
 {
   MetaX11Display *x11_display;
 
-  g_assert (display->x11_display == NULL);
+  x11_display = meta_x11_display_new (display, error);
+  if (!x11_display)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  display->x11_display = x11_display;
+  g_signal_emit (display, display_signals[X11_DISPLAY_SETUP], 0);
+
+  meta_x11_display_create_guard_window (x11_display);
+
+  if (!display->display_opening)
+    {
+      g_signal_emit (display, display_signals[X11_DISPLAY_OPENED], 0);
+      meta_display_manage_all_xwindows (display);
+      meta_compositor_redirect_x11_windows (display->compositor);
+    }
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+#ifdef HAVE_WAYLAND
+gboolean
+meta_display_init_x11_finish (MetaDisplay   *display,
+                              GAsyncResult  *result,
+                              GError       **error)
+{
+  MetaX11Display *x11_display;
+
+  g_assert (g_task_get_source_tag (G_TASK (result)) == meta_display_init_x11);
+
+  if (!g_task_propagate_boolean (G_TASK (result), error))
+    return FALSE;
+  if (display->x11_display)
+    return TRUE;
 
   x11_display = meta_x11_display_new (display, error);
   if (!x11_display)
@@ -684,6 +716,31 @@ meta_display_init_x11 (MetaDisplay  *display,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+void
+meta_display_init_x11 (MetaDisplay         *display,
+                       GCancellable        *cancellable,
+                       GAsyncReadyCallback  callback,
+                       gpointer             user_data)
+{
+  GTask *task;
+
+  task = g_task_new (display, cancellable, callback, user_data);
+  g_task_set_source_tag (task, meta_display_init_x11);
+
+  g_task_return_boolean (task, TRUE);
+  g_object_unref (task);
+}
+
+static void
+on_x11_initialized (MetaDisplay  *display,
+                    GAsyncResult *result,
+                    gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  if (!meta_display_init_x11_finish (display, result, NULL))
+    g_critical ("Failed to init X11 display");
+}
+#endif
+
 void
 meta_display_shutdown_x11 (MetaDisplay *display)
 {
@@ -791,16 +848,25 @@ meta_display_open (void)
   display->selection = meta_selection_new (display);
   meta_clipboard_manager_init (display);
 
-  if (meta_get_x11_display_policy () == META_DISPLAY_POLICY_MANDATORY)
+#ifdef HAVE_WAYLAND
+  if (meta_is_wayland_compositor ())
     {
-      if (!meta_display_init_x11 (display, &error))
-        g_error ("Failed to start Xwayland: %s", error->message);
+      if (meta_get_x11_display_policy () == META_DISPLAY_POLICY_MANDATORY)
+        {
+          meta_display_init_x11 (display, NULL,
+                                 (GAsyncReadyCallback) on_x11_initialized,
+                                 NULL);
+        }
 
-      timestamp = display->x11_display->timestamp;
+      timestamp = meta_display_get_current_time_roundtrip (display);
     }
   else
+#endif
     {
-      timestamp = meta_display_get_current_time_roundtrip (display);
+      if (!meta_display_init_x11_display (display, &error))
+        g_error ("Failed to init X11 display: %s", error->message);
+
+      timestamp = display->x11_display->timestamp;
     }
 
   display->last_focus_time = timestamp;
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
index 07b203293..8e17d5401 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
@@ -545,6 +545,17 @@ xserver_finished_init (MetaXWaylandManager *manager)
   g_clear_pointer (&manager->init_loop, g_main_loop_unref);
 }
 
+static void
+on_init_x11_cb (MetaDisplay  *display,
+                GAsyncResult *result,
+                gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+
+  if (!meta_display_init_x11_finish (display, result, &error))
+    g_warning ("Failed to initialize X11 display: %s\n", error->message);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 on_displayfd_ready (int          fd,
                     GIOCondition condition,
@@ -560,7 +571,10 @@ on_displayfd_ready (int          fd,
   xserver_finished_init (manager);
 
   if (meta_get_x11_display_policy () == META_DISPLAY_POLICY_ON_DEMAND)
-    meta_display_init_x11 (display, NULL);
+    {
+      meta_display_init_x11 (display, NULL,
+                             (GAsyncReadyCallback) on_init_x11_cb, NULL);
+    }
 
   return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
 }