diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-activation.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-activation.c
index b6061c9a5..93846b6d5 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-activation.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-activation.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct _MetaWaylandActivation
   struct wl_list resource_list;
   struct wl_list token_list;
   GHashTable *tokens;
+  GHashTable *pending_activations;
 };
 
 struct _MetaXdgActivationToken
@@ -322,22 +323,20 @@ startup_sequence_is_recent (MetaDisplay         *display,
   return seq_timestamp_ms >= last_user_time_ms;
 }
 
-static void
-activation_activate (struct wl_client   *client,
-                     struct wl_resource *resource,
-                     const char         *token_str,
-                     struct wl_resource *surface_resource)
+static gboolean
+maybe_activate (MetaWaylandActivation *activation,
+                MetaWindow            *window,
+                const char            *token_str)
 {
-  MetaWaylandActivation *activation = wl_resource_get_user_data (resource);
-  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data (surface_resource);
   MetaDisplay *display = display_from_activation (activation);
   MetaXdgActivationToken *token;
   MetaStartupSequence *sequence;
-  MetaWindow *window;
 
-  window = meta_wayland_surface_get_window (surface);
-  if (!window)
-    return;
+  if (!window || window->unmanaging)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if (!window->mapped)
+    return FALSE;
 
   token = g_hash_table_lookup (activation->tokens, token_str);
   if (token)
@@ -351,7 +350,7 @@ activation_activate (struct wl_client   *client,
     }
 
   if (!sequence)
-    return;
+    return TRUE;
 
   if ((token && token_can_activate (token)) ||
       (!token && startup_sequence_is_recent (display, sequence)))
@@ -374,6 +373,50 @@ activation_activate (struct wl_client   *client,
     }
 
   meta_startup_sequence_complete (sequence);
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+static void
+complete_pending_activate (MetaWaylandActivation *activation,
+                           MetaWindow            *window)
+{
+  g_autofree char *token_str = NULL;
+
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window, complete_pending_activate,
+                                        activation);
+  g_hash_table_steal_extended (activation->pending_activations, window,
+                               NULL, (gpointer *) &token_str);
+
+  maybe_activate (activation, window, token_str);
+}
+
+static void
+activation_activate (struct wl_client   *client,
+                     struct wl_resource *resource,
+                     const char         *token_str,
+                     struct wl_resource *surface_resource)
+{
+  MetaWaylandActivation *activation = wl_resource_get_user_data (resource);
+  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = wl_resource_get_user_data (surface_resource);
+  MetaWindow *window = meta_wayland_surface_get_window (surface);
+
+  if (maybe_activate (activation, window, token_str))
+    return;
+
+  g_assert (window != NULL);
+
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (window,
+                                        complete_pending_activate,
+                                        activation);
+  g_signal_connect_swapped (window, "notify::mapped",
+                            G_CALLBACK (complete_pending_activate),
+                            activation);
+  g_signal_connect_swapped (window, "unmanaged",
+                            G_CALLBACK (complete_pending_activate),
+                            activation);
+  g_hash_table_insert (activation->pending_activations,
+                       window, g_strdup (token_str));
 }
 
 static const struct xdg_activation_v1_interface activation_interface = {
@@ -406,6 +449,7 @@ void
 meta_wayland_activation_finalize (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor)
 {
   g_hash_table_destroy (compositor->activation->tokens);
+  g_hash_table_destroy (compositor->activation->pending_activations);
   g_clear_pointer (&compositor->activation, g_free);
 }
 
@@ -424,6 +468,9 @@ meta_wayland_activation_init (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor)
                            NULL,
                            (GDestroyNotify) meta_xdg_activation_token_free);
 
+  activation->pending_activations =
+    g_hash_table_new_full (NULL, NULL, NULL, g_free);
+
   wl_global_create (compositor->wayland_display,
                     &xdg_activation_v1_interface,
                     META_XDG_ACTIVATION_V1_VERSION,