diff --git a/src/backends/meta-input-mapper.c b/src/backends/meta-input-mapper.c
index 49f00f427..dfe67983c 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-input-mapper.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-input-mapper.c
@@ -656,8 +656,9 @@ input_mapper_monitors_changed_cb (MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager,
 }
 
 static void
-input_mapper_power_save_mode_changed_cb (MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager,
-                                         MetaInputMapper    *mapper)
+input_mapper_power_save_mode_changed_cb (MetaMonitorManager        *monitor_manager,
+                                         MetaPowerSaveChangeReason  reason,
+                                         MetaInputMapper           *mapper)
 {
   ClutterInputDevice *device;
   MetaLogicalMonitor *logical_monitor;
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h
index 782ccb0f0..242fc2353 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h
@@ -319,8 +319,9 @@ void                meta_monitor_manager_get_screen_size   (MetaMonitorManager *
 
 MetaPowerSave       meta_monitor_manager_get_power_save_mode (MetaMonitorManager *manager);
 
-void                meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
-                                                                  MetaPowerSave       mode);
+void                meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager        *manager,
+                                                                  MetaPowerSave              mode,
+                                                                  MetaPowerSaveChangeReason  reason);
 
 void                meta_monitor_manager_confirm_configuration (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
                                                                 gboolean            ok);
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
index 00a6a5cf5..15c219a54 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include "clutter/clutter.h"
 #include "core/util-private.h"
 #include "meta/main.h"
+#include "meta/meta-enum-types.h"
 #include "meta/meta-x11-errors.h"
 
 #include "meta-dbus-display-config.h"
@@ -416,8 +417,9 @@ meta_monitor_manager_rebuild_logical_monitors_derived (MetaMonitorManager *manag
 }
 
 void
-meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
-                                              MetaPowerSave       mode)
+meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager        *manager,
+                                              MetaPowerSave              mode,
+                                              MetaPowerSaveChangeReason  reason)
 {
   MetaMonitorManagerPrivate *priv =
     meta_monitor_manager_get_instance_private (manager);
@@ -426,7 +428,7 @@ meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
     return;
 
   priv->power_save_mode = mode;
-  g_signal_emit (manager, signals[POWER_SAVE_MODE_CHANGED], 0);
+  g_signal_emit (manager, signals[POWER_SAVE_MODE_CHANGED], 0, reason);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -438,6 +440,7 @@ power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
     meta_monitor_manager_get_instance_private (manager);
   MetaMonitorManagerClass *klass;
   int mode = meta_dbus_display_config_get_power_save_mode (manager->display_config);
+  MetaPowerSaveChangeReason reason;
 
   if (mode == META_POWER_SAVE_UNSUPPORTED)
     return;
@@ -453,7 +456,8 @@ power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
   if (klass->set_power_save_mode)
     klass->set_power_save_mode (manager, mode);
 
-  meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager, mode);
+  reason = META_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON_MODE_CHANGE;
+  meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager, mode, reason);
 }
 
 void
@@ -1474,7 +1478,8 @@ meta_monitor_manager_class_init (MetaMonitorManagerClass *klass)
                   G_SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
                   0,
                   NULL, NULL, NULL,
-                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+                  G_TYPE_NONE, 1,
+                  META_TYPE_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON);
 
   signals[CONFIRM_DISPLAY_CHANGE] =
     g_signal_new ("confirm-display-change",
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.c b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
index ec3512d65..7c4de5fb9 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
@@ -292,8 +292,9 @@ meta_stage_deactivate (ClutterStage *actor)
 }
 
 static void
-on_power_save_changed (MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager,
-                       MetaStage          *stage)
+on_power_save_changed (MetaMonitorManager        *monitor_manager,
+                       MetaPowerSaveChangeReason  reason,
+                       MetaStage                 *stage)
 {
   if (meta_monitor_manager_get_power_save_mode (monitor_manager) ==
       META_POWER_SAVE_ON)
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-monitor-manager-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-monitor-manager-native.c
index b3de93490..8a4d907ae 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-monitor-manager-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-monitor-manager-native.c
@@ -114,8 +114,14 @@ meta_monitor_manager_native_read_current_state (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 
   power_save_mode = meta_monitor_manager_get_power_save_mode (manager);
   if (power_save_mode != META_POWER_SAVE_ON)
-    meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager,
-                                                  META_POWER_SAVE_ON);
+    {
+      MetaPowerSaveChangeReason reason;
+
+      reason = META_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON_HOTPLUG;
+      meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager,
+                                                    META_POWER_SAVE_ON,
+                                                    reason);
+    }
 
   parent_class->read_current_state (manager);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
index e1c384958..3a2341900 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
@@ -2011,8 +2011,9 @@ on_gpu_added (MetaBackendNative  *backend_native,
 }
 
 static void
-on_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager,
-                            MetaRendererNative *renderer_native)
+on_power_save_mode_changed (MetaMonitorManager        *monitor_manager,
+                            MetaPowerSaveChangeReason  reason,
+                            MetaRendererNative        *renderer_native)
 {
   MetaRenderer *renderer = META_RENDERER (renderer_native);
   MetaBackend *backend = meta_renderer_get_backend (renderer);
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-monitor-manager-xrandr.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-monitor-manager-xrandr.c
index f288c7af2..c50006200 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-monitor-manager-xrandr.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-monitor-manager-xrandr.c
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ meta_monitor_manager_xrandr_read_current_state (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
   BOOL dpms_capable, dpms_enabled;
   CARD16 dpms_state;
   MetaPowerSave power_save_mode;
+  MetaPowerSaveChangeReason reason;
 
   dpms_capable = DPMSCapable (xdisplay);
 
@@ -151,7 +152,11 @@ meta_monitor_manager_xrandr_read_current_state (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
   else
     power_save_mode = META_POWER_SAVE_UNSUPPORTED;
 
-  meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager, power_save_mode);
+
+  reason = META_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON_HOTPLUG;
+  meta_monitor_manager_power_save_mode_changed (manager,
+                                                power_save_mode,
+                                                reason);
 
   parent_class->read_current_state (manager);
 }
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-monitor-manager.h b/src/meta/meta-monitor-manager.h
index 9101b64ac..418dc4919 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-monitor-manager.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-monitor-manager.h
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ typedef enum
   META_MONITOR_SWITCH_CONFIG_UNKNOWN,
 } MetaMonitorSwitchConfigType;
 
+typedef enum _MetaPowerSaveChangeReason
+{
+  META_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON_MODE_CHANGE,
+  META_POWER_SAVE_CHANGE_REASON_HOTPLUG,
+} MetaPowerSaveChangeReason;
+
 typedef struct _MetaMonitorManagerClass    MetaMonitorManagerClass;
 typedef struct _MetaMonitorManager         MetaMonitorManager;