diff --git a/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.c b/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.c
index 8aa51b235..365c073e1 100644
--- a/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.c
+++ b/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
 
 #include <errno.h>
 
@@ -48,12 +49,15 @@
 
 #include <wayland-client.h>
 
+#include <gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf.h>
 #include <cogl/cogl.h>
 
 #define clutter_backend_wayland_get_type     _clutter_backend_wayland_get_type
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (ClutterBackendWayland, clutter_backend_wayland, CLUTTER_TYPE_BACKEND);
 
+static void clutter_backend_wayland_load_cursor (ClutterBackendWayland *backend_wayland);
+
 static void
 clutter_backend_wayland_dispose (GObject *gobject)
 {
@@ -65,6 +69,12 @@ clutter_backend_wayland_dispose (GObject *gobject)
       backend_wayland->device_manager = NULL;
     }
 
+  if (backend_wayland->cursor_buffer)
+    {
+      wl_buffer_destroy (backend_wayland->cursor_buffer);
+      backend_wayland->cursor_buffer = NULL;
+    }
+
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (clutter_backend_wayland_parent_class)->dispose (gobject);
 }
 
@@ -142,6 +152,9 @@ clutter_backend_wayland_post_parse (ClutterBackend  *backend,
            backend_wayland->wayland_shell))
     wl_display_roundtrip (backend_wayland->wayland_display);
 
+  /* We need the shm object before we can create the cursor */
+  clutter_backend_wayland_load_cursor (backend_wayland);
+
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -212,6 +225,172 @@ clutter_backend_wayland_class_init (ClutterBackendWaylandClass *klass)
   backend_class->get_display = clutter_backend_wayland_get_display;
 }
 
+/*
+ * clutter_backend_wayland_load_cursor and the two functions below were copied
+ * from GTK+ and adapted for clutter
+ */
+static void
+set_pixbuf (GdkPixbuf     *pixbuf,
+            unsigned char *map,
+            int            width,
+            int            height)
+{
+  int stride, i, n_channels;
+  unsigned char *pixels, *end, *argb_pixels, *s, *d;
+
+  stride = gdk_pixbuf_get_rowstride (pixbuf);
+  pixels = gdk_pixbuf_get_pixels (pixbuf);
+  n_channels = gdk_pixbuf_get_n_channels (pixbuf);
+  argb_pixels = map;
+
+#define MULT(_d,c,a,t) \
+  do { t = c * a + 0x7f; _d = ((t >> 8) + t) >> 8; } while (0)
+
+  if (n_channels == 4)
+    {
+      for (i = 0; i < height; i++)
+        {
+          s = pixels + i * stride;
+          end = s + width * 4;
+          d = argb_pixels + i * width * 4;
+          while (s < end)
+            {
+              unsigned int t;
+
+              MULT(d[0], s[2], s[3], t);
+              MULT(d[1], s[1], s[3], t);
+              MULT(d[2], s[0], s[3], t);
+              d[3] = s[3];
+              s += 4;
+              d += 4;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+  else if (n_channels == 3)
+    {
+      for (i = 0; i < height; i++)
+        {
+          s = pixels + i * stride;
+          end = s + width * 3;
+          d = argb_pixels + i * width * 4;
+          while (s < end)
+            {
+              d[0] = s[2];
+              d[1] = s[1];
+              d[2] = s[0];
+              d[3] = 0xff;
+              s += 3;
+              d += 4;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static struct wl_buffer *
+create_cursor (ClutterBackendWayland *backend_wayland,
+               GdkPixbuf             *pixbuf)
+{
+  int stride, fd;
+  char *filename;
+  GError *error = NULL;
+  struct wl_buffer *buffer;
+  gint width, height;
+  gsize size;
+  unsigned char *map;
+
+  width = gdk_pixbuf_get_width (pixbuf);
+  height = gdk_pixbuf_get_height (pixbuf);
+  stride = width * 4;
+  size = stride * height;
+
+  fd = g_file_open_tmp ("wayland-shm-XXXXXX", &filename, &error);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      g_critical (G_STRLOC ": Opening temporary file failed: %s", error->message);
+      g_error_free (error);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  unlink (filename);
+  g_free (filename);
+
+  if (ftruncate (fd, size) < 0)
+    {
+      g_critical (G_STRLOC ": Setting the size of temporary file failed: %s", g_strerror (errno));
+      close (fd);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  map = mmap (NULL, size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+
+  if (map == MAP_FAILED)
+    {
+      g_critical (G_STRLOC ": Memory mapping file failed: %s", g_strerror (errno));
+      close (fd);
+      return NULL;
+   }
+
+  set_pixbuf (pixbuf, map, width, height);
+
+  buffer = wl_shm_create_buffer (backend_wayland->wayland_shm,
+                                 fd,
+                                 width,
+                                 height,
+                                 stride,
+                                 WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB32);
+
+  close(fd);
+  munmap (map, size);
+
+  return buffer;
+}
+
+static void
+clutter_backend_wayland_load_cursor (ClutterBackendWayland *backend_wayland)
+{
+  const gchar * const *directories;
+  gint j;
+  GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = NULL;
+  GError *error = NULL;
+
+  directories = g_get_system_data_dirs();
+
+  for (j = 0; directories[j] != NULL; j++)
+    {
+      gchar *filename;
+      filename = g_build_filename (directories[j],
+                                   "weston",
+                                   "left_ptr.png",
+                                   NULL);
+      if (g_file_test (filename, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+        {
+          pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file (filename, &error);
+
+          if (error != NULL)
+            {
+              g_warning ("Failed to load cursor: %s: %s",
+                         filename, error->message);
+              g_error_free (error);
+              return;
+            }
+          break;
+        }
+    }
+
+  if (!pixbuf)
+    return;
+
+  backend_wayland->cursor_buffer = create_cursor (backend_wayland, pixbuf);
+
+  if (backend_wayland->cursor_buffer)
+    {
+      backend_wayland->cursor_x = 15;
+      backend_wayland->cursor_y = 15;
+    }
+
+  g_object_unref (pixbuf);
+}
+
 static void
 clutter_backend_wayland_init (ClutterBackendWayland *backend_wayland)
 {
diff --git a/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.h b/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.h
index 53dd2e0c9..fe8b2f442 100644
--- a/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.h
+++ b/clutter/wayland/clutter-backend-wayland.h
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ struct _ClutterBackendWayland
   struct wl_compositor *wayland_compositor;
   struct wl_shell *wayland_shell;
   struct wl_shm *wayland_shm;
+  struct wl_buffer *cursor_buffer;
+  gint cursor_x, cursor_y;
+
   GSource *wayland_source;
 
   /* event timer */