diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-device-manager-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-device-manager-x11.c
index c6ddb7d6f..c7d748a55 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-device-manager-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-device-manager-x11.c
@@ -756,7 +756,6 @@ translate_hierarchy_event (ClutterBackend       *backend,
           ClutterInputDevice *master, *slave;
           XIDeviceInfo *info;
           int n_devices;
-          gboolean send_changed = FALSE;
 
           g_debug ("Hierarchy event: slave %s",
                    (ev->info[i].flags & XISlaveAttached)
@@ -772,8 +771,6 @@ translate_hierarchy_event (ClutterBackend       *backend,
             {
               _clutter_input_device_remove_slave (master, slave);
               _clutter_input_device_set_associated_device (slave, NULL);
-
-              send_changed = TRUE;
             }
 
           /* and attach the slave to the new master if needed */
@@ -792,23 +789,10 @@ translate_hierarchy_event (ClutterBackend       *backend,
                     {
                       _clutter_input_device_set_associated_device (slave, master);
                       _clutter_input_device_add_slave (master, slave);
-
-                      send_changed = TRUE;
                     }
                   XIFreeDeviceInfo (info);
                 }
             }
-
-          if (send_changed)
-            {
-              ClutterStage *stage = _clutter_input_device_get_stage (master);
-              if (stage != NULL)
-		{
-		  meta_stage_x11_events_device_changed (META_STAGE_X11 (_clutter_stage_get_window (stage)),
-							master,
-							CLUTTER_DEVICE_MANAGER (manager_xi2));
-		}
-            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
index d201d786b..1bb2dee14 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
@@ -291,31 +291,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_unrealize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
   g_clear_pointer (&stage_x11->onscreen, cogl_object_unref);
 }
 
-void
-meta_stage_x11_events_device_changed (MetaStageX11         *stage_x11,
-                                      ClutterInputDevice   *device,
-                                      ClutterDeviceManager *device_manager)
-{
-  ClutterStageCogl *stage_cogl = CLUTTER_STAGE_COGL (stage_x11);
-
-  if (clutter_input_device_get_device_mode (device) == CLUTTER_INPUT_MODE_FLOATING)
-    _clutter_device_manager_select_stage_events (device_manager,
-                                                 stage_cogl->wrapper);
-}
-
-static void
-stage_events_device_added (ClutterDeviceManager *device_manager,
-                           ClutterInputDevice *device,
-                           gpointer user_data)
-{
-  ClutterStageWindow *stage_window = user_data;
-  ClutterStageCogl *stage_cogl = CLUTTER_STAGE_COGL (stage_window);
-
-  if (clutter_input_device_get_device_mode (device) == CLUTTER_INPUT_MODE_FLOATING)
-    _clutter_device_manager_select_stage_events (device_manager,
-                                                 stage_cogl->wrapper);
-}
-
 static void
 frame_cb (CoglOnscreen  *onscreen,
           CoglFrameEvent frame_event,
@@ -416,10 +391,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_realize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
     {
       _clutter_device_manager_select_stage_events (device_manager,
                                                    stage_cogl->wrapper);
-
-      g_signal_connect (device_manager, "device-added",
-                        G_CALLBACK (stage_events_device_added),
-                        stage_window);
     }
 
   meta_stage_x11_fix_window_size (stage_x11,
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
index ca838e0b7..0ec429e53 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
@@ -80,10 +80,6 @@ struct _MetaStageX11Class
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
 GType meta_stage_x11_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
-void  meta_stage_x11_events_device_changed (MetaStageX11         *stage_x11,
-					    ClutterInputDevice   *device,
-					    ClutterDeviceManager *device_manager);
-
 /* Private to subclasses */
 void            meta_stage_x11_set_user_time                (MetaStageX11 *stage_x11,
 							     guint32       user_time);