diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-enums.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-enums.h
index 43386366c..b2783c9c8 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-enums.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-enums.h
@@ -706,6 +706,7 @@ typedef enum /*< flags prefix=CLUTTER_EVENT >*/
   CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_REPEATED     = 1 << 2,
   CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_RELATIVE_MOTION = 1 << 3,
   CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_GRAB_NOTIFY  = 1 << 4,
+  CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED = 1 << 5,
 } ClutterEventFlags;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
index 90fc569b6..9941e5b4f 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
@@ -1130,7 +1130,8 @@ notify_scroll (ClutterInputDevice       *input_device,
   event->scroll.scroll_source = scroll_source;
   event->scroll.finish_flags = flags;
 
-  _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, emulated);
+  if (emulated)
+    event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
   queue_event (seat_impl, event);
 }
@@ -1163,7 +1164,8 @@ notify_discrete_scroll (ClutterInputDevice     *input_device,
   clutter_event_set_source_device (event, input_device);
   event->scroll.scroll_source = scroll_source;
 
-  _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, emulated);
+  if (emulated)
+    event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
   queue_event (seat_impl, event);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-seat-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-seat-x11.c
index 7231acdb0..230d1ccc9 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-seat-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-seat-x11.c
@@ -2320,7 +2320,7 @@ meta_seat_x11_translate_event (MetaSeatX11  *seat,
           }
 
         if (xev->flags & XIPointerEmulated)
-          _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, TRUE);
+          event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
         if (xi_event->evtype == XI_ButtonPress)
           meta_stage_x11_set_user_time (stage_x11, event->button.time);
@@ -2403,7 +2403,7 @@ meta_seat_x11_translate_event (MetaSeatX11  *seat,
                                              &xev->valuators);
 
         if (xev->flags & XIPointerEmulated)
-          _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, TRUE);
+          event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
         g_debug ("motion: win:0x%x device:%d '%s' (x:%.2f, y:%.2f, axes:%s)",
                  (unsigned int) stage_x11->xwin,
@@ -2475,7 +2475,7 @@ meta_seat_x11_translate_event (MetaSeatX11  *seat,
         event->touch.sequence = GINT_TO_POINTER (MAX (1, xev->detail + 1));
 
         if (xev->flags & XITouchEmulatingPointer)
-          _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, TRUE);
+          event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
         g_debug ("touch %s: win:0x%x device:%d '%s' (seq:%d, x:%.2f, y:%.2f, axes:%s)",
                  event->type == CLUTTER_TOUCH_BEGIN ? "begin" : "end",
@@ -2523,7 +2523,7 @@ meta_seat_x11_translate_event (MetaSeatX11  *seat,
         event->touch.modifier_state |= CLUTTER_BUTTON1_MASK;
 
         if (xev->flags & XITouchEmulatingPointer)
-          _clutter_event_set_pointer_emulated (event, TRUE);
+          event->any.flags |= CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED;
 
         meta_seat_x11_update_touchpoint (seat,
                                          event->touch.sequence,
diff --git a/src/core/events.c b/src/core/events.c
index 6a432e825..0f3d64748 100644
--- a/src/core/events.c
+++ b/src/core/events.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ sequence_is_pointer_emulated (MetaDisplay        *display,
   if (!sequence)
     return FALSE;
 
-  if (clutter_event_is_pointer_emulated (event))
+  if (clutter_event_get_flags (event) & CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED)
     return TRUE;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NATIVE_BACKEND
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-pointer.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-pointer.c
index 93741175c..8fa46a9c7 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-pointer.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-pointer.c
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ handle_scroll_event (MetaWaylandPointer *pointer,
   MetaWaylandPointerClient *client;
   gboolean is_discrete_event = FALSE, is_value120_event = FALSE;
 
-  if (clutter_event_is_pointer_emulated (event))
+  if (clutter_event_get_flags (event) & CLUTTER_EVENT_FLAG_POINTER_EMULATED)
     return;
 
   client = pointer->focus_client;