diff --git a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.c b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.c
index 84744bee9..07d3d1b56 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.c
@@ -62,8 +62,9 @@ wayland_test_client_finished (GObject      *source_object,
 }
 
 MetaWaylandTestClient *
-meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
-                              const char  *test_client_name)
+meta_wayland_test_client_new_with_args (MetaContext *context,
+                                        const char  *test_client_name,
+                                        ...)
 {
   MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor;
   const char *wayland_display_name;
@@ -72,12 +73,15 @@ meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
   GSubprocess *subprocess;
   GError *error = NULL;
   MetaWaylandTestClient *wayland_test_client;
+  g_autoptr (GPtrArray) args = NULL;
+  const gchar *arg;
+  va_list ap;
 
   compositor = meta_context_get_wayland_compositor (context);
   wayland_display_name = meta_wayland_get_wayland_display_name (compositor);
   test_client_path = get_test_client_path (test_client_name);
 
-  launcher =  g_subprocess_launcher_new (G_SUBPROCESS_FLAGS_NONE);
+  launcher = g_subprocess_launcher_new (G_SUBPROCESS_FLAGS_NONE);
   g_subprocess_launcher_setenv (launcher,
                                 "WAYLAND_DISPLAY", wayland_display_name,
                                 TRUE);
@@ -85,10 +89,19 @@ meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
                                 "G_MESSAGES_DEBUG", "all",
                                 TRUE);
 
-  subprocess = g_subprocess_launcher_spawn (launcher,
-                                            &error,
-                                            test_client_path,
-                                            NULL);
+  va_start (ap, test_client_name);
+  args = g_ptr_array_new ();
+  g_ptr_array_add (args, (char *) test_client_path);
+
+  while ((arg = va_arg (ap, const gchar *)))
+    g_ptr_array_add (args, (gchar *) arg);
+
+  g_ptr_array_add (args, NULL);
+  va_end (ap);
+
+  subprocess = g_subprocess_launcher_spawnv (launcher,
+                                             (const gchar * const *) args->pdata,
+                                             &error);
   if (!subprocess)
     {
       g_error ("Failed to launch Wayland test client '%s': %s",
@@ -106,6 +119,15 @@ meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
   return wayland_test_client;
 }
 
+MetaWaylandTestClient *
+meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
+                              const char  *test_client_name)
+{
+  return meta_wayland_test_client_new_with_args (context,
+                                                 test_client_name,
+                                                 NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 wayland_test_client_destroy (MetaWaylandTestClient *wayland_test_client)
 {
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.h b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.h
index 8faa62090..03cdd7c7d 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-utils.h
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ typedef struct _MetaWaylandTestClient MetaWaylandTestClient;
 MetaWaylandTestClient * meta_wayland_test_client_new (MetaContext *context,
                                                       const char  *test_client_name);
 
+MetaWaylandTestClient * meta_wayland_test_client_new_with_args (MetaContext *context,
+                                                                const char  *test_client_name,
+                                                                ...) G_GNUC_NULL_TERMINATED;
+
 void meta_wayland_test_client_finish (MetaWaylandTestClient *wayland_test_client);
 
 MetaWindow * meta_find_client_window (MetaContext *context,