diff --git a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
index 5bb1134bf..2ac0089de 100644
--- a/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
+++ b/data/dbus-interfaces/org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl.xml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     <property name="ForceLinearBlending" type="b" access="readwrite" />
     <property name="LuminancePercentage" type="u" access="readwrite" />
     <property name="SessionManagementProtocol" type="b" access="readwrite" />
+    <property name="InhibitHwCursor" type="b" access="readwrite" />
 
   </interface>
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
index 5427cb043..6b6ee088c 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ void meta_backend_inhibit_hw_cursor (MetaBackend *backend);
 
 void meta_backend_uninhibit_hw_cursor (MetaBackend *backend);
 
+META_EXPORT_TEST
 gboolean meta_backend_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (MetaBackend *backend);
 
 void meta_backend_update_from_event (MetaBackend  *backend,
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index 150d221b8..b1475ced9 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
 #include "clutter/clutter-seat-private.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-dnd-private.h"
 #include "core/meta-context-private.h"
+#include "core/meta-debug-control-private.h"
 #include "meta/main.h"
 #include "meta/meta-backend.h"
 #include "meta/meta-context.h"
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ struct _MetaBackendPrivate
   GList *gpus;
   GList *hw_cursor_inhibitors;
   int global_hw_cursor_inhibitors;
+  gboolean debug_inhibit_hw_cursor;
 
   gboolean in_init;
 
@@ -1186,6 +1188,27 @@ init_stage (MetaBackend *backend)
   META_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)->select_stage_events (backend);
 }
 
+static void
+on_debug_control_inhibit_hw_cursor_changed (MetaDebugControl *debug_control,
+                                            GParamSpec       *pspec,
+                                            MetaBackend      *backend)
+{
+  MetaBackendPrivate *priv = meta_backend_get_instance_private (backend);
+  gboolean should_inhibit_hw_cursor;
+
+  should_inhibit_hw_cursor =
+    meta_debug_control_is_hw_cursor_inhibited (debug_control);
+  if (should_inhibit_hw_cursor == priv->debug_inhibit_hw_cursor)
+    return;
+
+  priv->debug_inhibit_hw_cursor = should_inhibit_hw_cursor;
+
+  if (should_inhibit_hw_cursor)
+    meta_backend_inhibit_hw_cursor (backend);
+  else
+    meta_backend_uninhibit_hw_cursor (backend);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 meta_backend_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
                             GCancellable  *cancellable,
@@ -1193,6 +1216,7 @@ meta_backend_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
 {
   MetaBackend *backend = META_BACKEND (initable);
   MetaBackendPrivate *priv = meta_backend_get_instance_private (backend);
+  MetaDebugControl *debug_control;
 
   priv->in_init = TRUE;
 
@@ -1215,6 +1239,11 @@ meta_backend_initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
 
   priv->cursor_tracker = meta_backend_create_cursor_tracker (backend);
 
+  debug_control = meta_context_get_debug_control (priv->context);
+  g_signal_connect (debug_control, "notify::inhibit-hw-cursor",
+                    G_CALLBACK (on_debug_control_inhibit_hw_cursor_changed),
+                    backend);
+
   if (META_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)->is_lid_closed ==
       meta_backend_real_is_lid_closed)
     {
diff --git a/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h b/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
index 2e8d55338..372cf0d3c 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
+++ b/src/core/meta-debug-control-private.h
@@ -31,3 +31,5 @@ gboolean meta_debug_control_is_hdr_forced (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
 unsigned int meta_debug_control_get_luminance_percentage (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
 
 gboolean meta_debug_control_is_session_management_protocol_enabled (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
+
+gboolean meta_debug_control_is_hw_cursor_inhibited (MetaDebugControl *debug_control);
diff --git a/src/core/meta-debug-control.c b/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
index b8ee48d61..de66ec3c5 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-debug-control.c
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ meta_debug_control_init (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
   gboolean enable_hdr, force_hdr, force_linear_blending,
            color_management_protocol;
   gboolean session_management_protocol;
+  gboolean inhibit_hw_cursor;
 
   color_management_protocol =
     g_strcmp0 (getenv ("MUTTER_DEBUG_COLOR_MANAGEMENT_PROTOCOL"), "1") == 0;
@@ -194,6 +195,11 @@ meta_debug_control_init (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
     g_strcmp0 (getenv ("MUTTER_DEBUG_SESSION_MANAGEMENT_PROTOCOL"), "1") == 0;
   meta_dbus_debug_control_set_session_management_protocol (dbus_debug_control,
                                                            session_management_protocol);
+
+  inhibit_hw_cursor =
+    g_strcmp0 (getenv ("MUTTER_DEBUG_INHIBIT_HW_CURSOR"), "1") == 0;
+  meta_dbus_debug_control_set_inhibit_hw_cursor (dbus_debug_control,
+                                                 inhibit_hw_cursor);
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -278,3 +284,12 @@ meta_debug_control_set_exported (MetaDebugControl *debug_control,
   debug_control->exported = exported;
   g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (debug_control), obj_props[PROP_EXPORTED]);
 }
+
+gboolean
+meta_debug_control_is_hw_cursor_inhibited (MetaDebugControl *debug_control)
+{
+  MetaDBusDebugControl *dbus_debug_control =
+    META_DBUS_DEBUG_CONTROL (debug_control);
+
+  return meta_dbus_debug_control_get_inhibit_hw_cursor (dbus_debug_control);
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/debug-control-tests.c b/src/tests/debug-control-tests.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99ab2fdf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/debug-control-tests.c
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
+#include "meta-test/meta-context-test.h"
+
+static MetaContext *test_context;
+
+static void
+call_cb (GObject      *source_object,
+         GAsyncResult *res,
+         gpointer      user_data)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) ret = NULL;
+  gboolean *done = user_data;
+
+  ret = g_dbus_proxy_call_finish (G_DBUS_PROXY (source_object),
+                                  res,
+                                  &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
+  *done = TRUE;
+}
+
+static void
+set_inhibit_hw_curor_via_dbus (GDBusProxy *proxy,
+                               gboolean    inhibit)
+{
+  gboolean done = FALSE;
+
+  g_dbus_proxy_call (proxy,
+                     "Set",
+                     g_variant_new ("(ssv)",
+                                    "org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl",
+                                    "InhibitHwCursor",
+                                    g_variant_new_boolean (inhibit)),
+                     G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NO_AUTO_START,
+                     -1,
+                     NULL,
+                     &call_cb,
+                     &done);
+  while (!done)
+    g_main_context_iteration (NULL, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+meta_test_debug_control_inhibit_hw_cursor (void)
+{
+  MetaBackend *backend = meta_context_get_backend (test_context);
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GDBusProxy) proxy = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) ret = NULL;
+
+  g_assert_false (meta_backend_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (backend));
+
+  proxy = g_dbus_proxy_new_for_bus_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SESSION,
+                                         G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_DO_NOT_AUTO_START,
+                                         NULL,
+                                         "org.gnome.Mutter.DebugControl",
+                                         "/org/gnome/Mutter/DebugControl",
+                                         "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties",
+                                         NULL,
+                                         &error);
+  g_assert_nonnull (proxy);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
+  set_inhibit_hw_curor_via_dbus (proxy, TRUE);
+  g_assert_true (meta_backend_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (backend));
+  set_inhibit_hw_curor_via_dbus (proxy, FALSE);
+  g_assert_false (meta_backend_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (backend));
+}
+
+int
+main (int    argc,
+      char **argv)
+{
+  g_autoptr (MetaContext) context = NULL;
+  MetaDebugControl *debug_control;
+
+  context = meta_create_test_context (META_CONTEXT_TEST_TYPE_TEST,
+                                      META_CONTEXT_TEST_FLAG_NO_X11);
+  g_assert_true (meta_context_configure (context, &argc, &argv, NULL));
+
+  debug_control = meta_context_get_debug_control (context);
+  meta_debug_control_set_exported (debug_control, TRUE);
+
+  test_context = context;
+
+  g_test_add_func ("/debug-control/inhibit-hw-cursor",
+                   meta_test_debug_control_inhibit_hw_cursor);
+
+  return meta_context_test_run_tests (META_CONTEXT_TEST (context),
+                                      META_TEST_RUN_FLAG_NONE);
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/meson.build b/src/tests/meson.build
index ab359b364..aab953c64 100644
--- a/src/tests/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/meson.build
@@ -318,6 +318,11 @@ test_cases += [
     'suite': 'backend',
     'sources': [ 'stage-tests.c', ],
   },
+  {
+    'name': 'debug-control',
+    'suite': 'core',
+    'sources': [ 'debug-control-tests.c', ],
+  },
 ]
 
 screen_cast_client = executable('mutter-screen-cast-client',