diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
index 08b249924..5c65ff969 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
@@ -142,4 +142,6 @@ void meta_backend_set_client_pointer_constraint (MetaBackend *backend,
 
 ClutterBackend * meta_backend_get_clutter_backend (MetaBackend *backend);
 
+void meta_backend_monitors_changed (MetaBackend *backend);
+
 #endif /* META_BACKEND_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index 2ad6b8445..1889fdb94 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ center_pointer (MetaBackend *backend)
                              primary->rect.y + primary->rect.height / 2);
 }
 
-static void
-on_monitors_changed (MetaMonitorManager *monitors,
-                     gpointer user_data)
+void
+meta_backend_monitors_changed (MetaBackend *backend)
 {
-  MetaBackend *backend = META_BACKEND (user_data);
+  MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager =
+    meta_backend_get_monitor_manager (backend);
   ClutterDeviceManager *manager = clutter_device_manager_get_default ();
   ClutterInputDevice *device = clutter_device_manager_get_core_device (manager, CLUTTER_POINTER_DEVICE);
   ClutterPoint point;
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@ on_monitors_changed (MetaMonitorManager *monitors,
   if (clutter_input_device_get_coords (device, NULL, &point))
     {
       /* If we're outside all monitors, warp the pointer back inside */
-      if (meta_monitor_manager_get_monitor_at_point (monitors, point.x, point.y) < 0)
+      if (meta_monitor_manager_get_monitor_at_point (monitor_manager,
+                                                     point.x, point.y) < 0)
         center_pointer (backend);
     }
 }
@@ -278,8 +279,6 @@ meta_backend_real_post_init (MetaBackend *backend)
 
   priv->monitor_manager = create_monitor_manager (backend);
 
-  g_signal_connect (priv->monitor_manager, "monitors-changed",
-                    G_CALLBACK (on_monitors_changed), backend);
   meta_backend_sync_screen_size (backend);
 
   priv->cursor_renderer = META_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)->create_cursor_renderer (backend);
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
index e00d3cedd..8fb79fc61 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager.c
@@ -1379,6 +1379,7 @@ meta_monitor_manager_read_current_config (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 void
 meta_monitor_manager_rebuild_derived (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 {
+  MetaBackend *backend = meta_get_backend ();
   MetaMonitorManagerClass *manager_class = META_MONITOR_MANAGER_GET_CLASS (manager);
   MetaMonitorInfo *old_monitor_infos;
   unsigned old_n_monitor_infos;
@@ -1408,6 +1409,13 @@ meta_monitor_manager_rebuild_derived (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
             manager_class->delete_monitor (manager, old_monitor_infos[i].monitor_winsys_xid);
         }
     }
+
+  /* Tell the backend about that the monitors changed before emitting the
+   * signal, so that the backend can prepare itself before all the signal
+   * consumers.
+   */
+  meta_backend_monitors_changed (backend);
+
   g_signal_emit_by_name (manager, "monitors-changed");
 
   g_free (old_monitor_infos);