diff --git a/src/tests/meson.build b/src/tests/meson.build
index c7d1e7725..e658c33b2 100644
--- a/src/tests/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/meson.build
@@ -563,6 +563,7 @@ if have_native_tests
       'depends': [
         test_client,
         test_client_executables.get('buffer-transform'),
+        test_client_executables.get('idle-inhibit'),
         test_client_executables.get('invalid-subsurfaces'),
         test_client_executables.get('invalid-xdg-shell-actions'),
         test_client_executables.get('single-pixel-buffer'),
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/idle-inhibit.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/idle-inhibit.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..23079e879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/idle-inhibit.c
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2023 Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <wayland-client.h>
+
+#include "wayland-test-client-utils.h"
+
+#include "idle-inhibit-unstable-v1-client-protocol.h"
+
+static WaylandDisplay *display;
+struct zwp_idle_inhibit_manager_v1 *idle_inhibit_manager;
+
+static void
+handle_registry_global (void               *user_data,
+                        struct wl_registry *registry,
+                        uint32_t            id,
+                        const char         *interface,
+                        uint32_t            version)
+{
+  if (strcmp (interface, "zwp_idle_inhibit_manager_v1") == 0)
+    {
+      idle_inhibit_manager = wl_registry_bind (registry, id,
+                                               &zwp_idle_inhibit_manager_v1_interface,
+                                               1);
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+handle_registry_global_remove (void               *user_data,
+                               struct wl_registry *registry,
+                               uint32_t            name)
+{
+}
+
+static const struct wl_registry_listener registry_listener = {
+  handle_registry_global,
+  handle_registry_global_remove
+};
+
+int
+main (int    argc,
+      char **argv)
+{
+  struct wl_registry *registry;
+  WaylandSurface *surface;
+  struct zwp_idle_inhibitor_v1 *inhibitor;
+
+  display = wayland_display_new (WAYLAND_DISPLAY_CAPABILITY_TEST_DRIVER);
+  registry = wl_display_get_registry (display->display);
+  wl_registry_add_listener (registry, &registry_listener, NULL);
+  wl_display_roundtrip (display->display);
+
+  surface = wayland_surface_new (display,
+                                 "idle-inhibit-client",
+                                 20, 20, 0x11223344);
+
+  inhibitor =
+    zwp_idle_inhibit_manager_v1_create_inhibitor (idle_inhibit_manager,
+                                                  surface->wl_surface);
+  zwp_idle_inhibitor_v1_destroy (inhibitor);
+
+  wl_display_roundtrip (display->display);
+
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
index da1fc6533..44f782080 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/meson.build
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ wayland_test_clients = [
   {
     'name': 'fullscreen',
   },
+  {
+    'name': 'idle-inhibit',
+  },
   {
     'name': 'kms-cursor-hotplug-helper',
     'extra_deps': [
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c b/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
index fc863d58b..5ad5d5815 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-unit-tests.c
@@ -839,6 +839,32 @@ wayland_registry_filter (void)
   g_assert_false (client3_saw_global);
 }
 
+static gboolean
+set_true (gpointer user_data)
+{
+  gboolean *done = user_data;
+
+  *done = TRUE;
+
+  return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
+}
+
+static void
+wayland_idle_inhibit_instant_destroy (void)
+{
+  MetaWaylandTestClient *wayland_test_client;
+  gboolean done;
+
+  wayland_test_client =
+    meta_wayland_test_client_new (test_context, "idle-inhibit");
+  meta_wayland_test_client_finish (wayland_test_client);
+
+  done = FALSE;
+  g_timeout_add_seconds (1, set_true, &done);
+  while (!done)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+}
+
 static void
 on_before_tests (void)
 {
@@ -886,6 +912,8 @@ init_tests (void)
                    xdg_foreign_set_parent_of);
   g_test_add_func ("/wayland/registry/filter",
                    wayland_registry_filter);
+  g_test_add_func ("/wayland/idle-inhibit/instant-destroy",
+                   wayland_idle_inhibit_instant_destroy);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-idle-inhibit.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-idle-inhibit.c
index 559aaa06c..b57f13718 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-idle-inhibit.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-idle-inhibit.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 typedef enum _IdleState
 {
+  IDLE_STATE_INITIALIZING,
   IDLE_STATE_UNINHIBITED,
   IDLE_STATE_INHIBITING,
   IDLE_STATE_INHIBITED,
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ update_inhibitation (MetaWaylandIdleInhibitor *inhibitor)
 
   switch (inhibitor->state)
     {
+    case IDLE_STATE_INITIALIZING:
     case IDLE_STATE_UNINHIBITED:
       if (!inhibitor->resource)
         {
@@ -227,6 +229,7 @@ inhibitor_proxy_completed (GObject      *source,
     }
 
   inhibitor->session_proxy = proxy;
+  inhibitor->state = IDLE_STATE_UNINHIBITED;
 
   update_inhibitation (inhibitor);
 }
@@ -248,6 +251,7 @@ idle_inhibitor_destructor (struct wl_resource *resource)
     case IDLE_STATE_UNINHIBITED:
       meta_wayland_inhibitor_free (inhibitor);
       return;
+    case IDLE_STATE_INITIALIZING:
     case IDLE_STATE_INHIBITED:
     case IDLE_STATE_INHIBITING:
     case IDLE_STATE_UNINHIBITING: