diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.c b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
index 107265fa6..f43f4d06e 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
@@ -331,6 +331,22 @@ meta_stage_class_init (MetaStageClass *klass)
                                           G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 }
 
+static void
+key_focus_actor_changed (ClutterStage *stage,
+                         GParamSpec   *param,
+                         gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  ClutterActor *key_focus = clutter_stage_get_key_focus (stage);
+
+  /* If there's no explicit key focus, clutter_stage_get_key_focus()
+   * returns the stage.
+   */
+  if (key_focus == CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage))
+    key_focus = NULL;
+
+  meta_stage_set_active (META_STAGE (stage), key_focus != NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_stage_init (MetaStage *stage)
 {
@@ -338,6 +354,13 @@ meta_stage_init (MetaStage *stage)
 
   for (i = 0; i < N_WATCH_MODES; i++)
     stage->watchers[i] = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func (g_free);
+
+  if (meta_is_wayland_compositor ())
+    {
+      g_signal_connect (stage,
+                        "notify::key-focus",
+                        G_CALLBACK (key_focus_actor_changed), NULL);
+    }
 }
 
 ClutterActor *
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 5bb34a65a..fb9224416 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -1443,7 +1443,6 @@ meta_display_sync_wayland_input_focus (MetaDisplay *display)
   else
     meta_topic (META_DEBUG_FOCUS, "Focus change has no effect, because there is no matching wayland surface");
 
-  meta_stage_set_active (stage, focus_window == NULL);
   meta_wayland_compositor_set_input_focus (compositor, focus_window);
 
   clutter_stage_repick_device (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage),