diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index 6f5a4ecde..c57bea944 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -134,10 +134,22 @@ meta_backend_native_create_default_seat (MetaBackend  *backend,
                                          GError      **error)
 {
   MetaBackendNative *backend_native = META_BACKEND_NATIVE (backend);
-  const char *seat_id;
+  MetaBackendNativePrivate *priv =
+    meta_backend_native_get_instance_private (backend_native);
+  const char *seat_id = NULL;
   MetaSeatNativeFlag flags;
 
-  seat_id = meta_backend_native_get_seat_id (backend_native);
+  switch (priv->mode)
+    {
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT:
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS:
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_TEST_HEADLESS:
+      seat_id = meta_backend_native_get_seat_id (backend_native);
+      break;
+    case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_TEST_VKMS:
+      seat_id = META_BACKEND_TEST_INPUT_SEAT;
+      break;
+    }
 
   if (meta_backend_is_headless (backend))
     flags = META_SEAT_NATIVE_FLAG_NO_LIBINPUT;
@@ -332,9 +344,8 @@ meta_backend_native_get_seat_id (MetaBackendNative *backend_native)
   switch (priv->mode)
     {
     case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_DEFAULT:
-      return meta_launcher_get_seat_id (priv->launcher);
     case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_TEST_VKMS:
-      return META_BACKEND_TEST_INPUT_SEAT;
+      return meta_launcher_get_seat_id (priv->launcher);
     case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_HEADLESS:
     case META_BACKEND_NATIVE_MODE_TEST_HEADLESS:
       return "seat0";