diff --git a/src/core/keybindings-private.h b/src/core/keybindings-private.h
index fd1c14212..ab1ab52fe 100644
--- a/src/core/keybindings-private.h
+++ b/src/core/keybindings-private.h
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ GList *meta_prefs_get_keybindings (void);
 void meta_prefs_get_overlay_binding (MetaKeyCombo *combo);
 void meta_prefs_get_locate_pointer_binding (MetaKeyCombo *combo);
 const char *meta_prefs_get_iso_next_group_option (void);
+gboolean meta_prefs_is_locate_pointer_enabled (void);
 
 void meta_x11_display_grab_keys   (MetaX11Display *x11_display);
 void meta_x11_display_ungrab_keys (MetaX11Display *x11_display);
diff --git a/src/core/keybindings.c b/src/core/keybindings.c
index 6857d7613..e21d4568e 100644
--- a/src/core/keybindings.c
+++ b/src/core/keybindings.c
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ static gboolean process_keyboard_resize_grab (MetaDisplay     *display,
                                               MetaWindow      *window,
                                               ClutterKeyEvent *event);
 
+static void maybe_update_locate_pointer_keygrab (MetaDisplay *display,
+                                                 gboolean     grab);
+
 static GHashTable *key_handlers;
 static GHashTable *external_grabs;
 
@@ -1342,6 +1345,10 @@ prefs_changed_callback (MetaPreference pref,
 
   switch (pref)
     {
+    case META_PREF_LOCATE_POINTER:
+      maybe_update_locate_pointer_keygrab (display,
+                                           meta_prefs_is_locate_pointer_enabled());
+      break;
     case META_PREF_KEYBINDINGS:
       ungrab_key_bindings (display);
       rebuild_key_binding_table (keys);
@@ -1491,6 +1498,21 @@ change_binding_keygrabs (MetaKeyBindingManager *keys,
   g_hash_table_foreach (keys->key_bindings, change_keygrab_foreach, &data);
 }
 
+static void
+maybe_update_locate_pointer_keygrab (MetaDisplay *display,
+                                     gboolean     grab)
+{
+  MetaKeyBindingManager *keys = &display->key_binding_manager;
+
+  if (!display->x11_display)
+    return;
+
+  if (keys->locate_pointer_resolved_key_combo.len != 0)
+    meta_change_keygrab (keys, display->x11_display->xroot,
+                         (!!grab & !!meta_prefs_is_locate_pointer_enabled()),
+                         &keys->locate_pointer_resolved_key_combo);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_x11_display_change_keygrabs (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
                                   gboolean        grab)
@@ -1502,9 +1524,7 @@ meta_x11_display_change_keygrabs (MetaX11Display *x11_display,
     meta_change_keygrab (keys, x11_display->xroot,
                          grab, &keys->overlay_resolved_key_combo);
 
-  if (keys->locate_pointer_resolved_key_combo.len != 0)
-    meta_change_keygrab (keys, x11_display->xroot,
-                         grab, &keys->locate_pointer_resolved_key_combo);
+  maybe_update_locate_pointer_keygrab (x11_display->display, grab);
 
   for (i = 0; i < keys->n_iso_next_group_combos; i++)
     meta_change_keygrab (keys, x11_display->xroot,
diff --git a/src/core/prefs.c b/src/core/prefs.c
index ca503bc3f..e3ee9119b 100644
--- a/src/core/prefs.c
+++ b/src/core/prefs.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 
 #define KEY_OVERLAY_KEY "overlay-key"
 #define KEY_WORKSPACES_ONLY_ON_PRIMARY "workspaces-only-on-primary"
+#define KEY_LOCATE_POINTER "locate-pointer"
 
 /* These are the different schemas we are keeping
  * a GSettings instance for */
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ static gboolean bell_is_visible = FALSE;
 static gboolean bell_is_audible = TRUE;
 static gboolean gnome_accessibility = FALSE;
 static gboolean gnome_animations = TRUE;
+static gboolean locate_pointer_is_enabled = FALSE;
 static char *cursor_theme = NULL;
 /* cursor_size will, when running as an X11 compositing window manager, be the
  * actual cursor size, multiplied with the global window scaling factor. On
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ static gboolean mouse_button_mods_handler (GVariant*, gpointer*, gpointer);
 static gboolean button_layout_handler (GVariant*, gpointer*, gpointer);
 static gboolean overlay_key_handler (GVariant*, gpointer*, gpointer);
 static gboolean locate_pointer_key_handler (GVariant*, gpointer*, gpointer);
+
 static gboolean iso_next_group_handler (GVariant*, gpointer*, gpointer);
 
 static void     init_bindings             (void);
@@ -384,6 +387,13 @@ static MetaBoolPreference preferences_bool[] =
       },
       &auto_maximize,
     },
+    {
+      { KEY_LOCATE_POINTER,
+        SCHEMA_INTERFACE,
+        META_PREF_LOCATE_POINTER,
+      },
+      &locate_pointer_is_enabled,
+    },
     { { NULL, 0, 0 }, NULL },
   };
 
@@ -960,6 +970,8 @@ meta_prefs_init (void)
                     G_CALLBACK (settings_changed), NULL);
   g_signal_connect (settings, "changed::" KEY_GNOME_CURSOR_SIZE,
                     G_CALLBACK (settings_changed), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect (settings, "changed::" KEY_LOCATE_POINTER,
+                    G_CALLBACK (settings_changed), NULL);
   g_hash_table_insert (settings_schemas, g_strdup (SCHEMA_INTERFACE), settings);
 
   settings = g_settings_new (SCHEMA_INPUT_SOURCES);
@@ -1680,6 +1692,9 @@ meta_preference_to_string (MetaPreference pref)
 
     case META_PREF_AUTO_MAXIMIZE:
       return "AUTO_MAXIMIZE";
+
+    case META_PREF_LOCATE_POINTER:
+      return "LOCATE_POINTER";
     }
 
   return "(unknown)";
@@ -2020,6 +2035,12 @@ meta_prefs_get_locate_pointer_binding (MetaKeyCombo *combo)
   *combo = locate_pointer_key_combo;
 }
 
+gboolean
+meta_prefs_is_locate_pointer_enabled (void)
+{
+  return locate_pointer_is_enabled;
+}
+
 const char *
 meta_prefs_get_iso_next_group_option (void)
 {
diff --git a/src/meta/prefs.h b/src/meta/prefs.h
index 36ebc1fa1..c5e91a435 100644
--- a/src/meta/prefs.h
+++ b/src/meta/prefs.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
  * @META_PREF_AUTO_MAXIMIZE: auto-maximize
  * @META_PREF_CENTER_NEW_WINDOWS: center new windows
  * @META_PREF_DRAG_THRESHOLD: drag threshold
+ * @META_PREF_LOCATE_POINTER: show pointer location
  */
 
 /* Keep in sync with GSettings schemas! */
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ typedef enum
   META_PREF_AUTO_MAXIMIZE,
   META_PREF_CENTER_NEW_WINDOWS,
   META_PREF_DRAG_THRESHOLD,
+  META_PREF_LOCATE_POINTER,
 } MetaPreference;
 
 typedef void (* MetaPrefsChangedFunc) (MetaPreference pref,