diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index 86104bbf0..79bd5cd44 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -772,16 +772,27 @@ meta_wayland_surface_apply_state (MetaWaylandSurface      *surface,
   if ((get_buffer_width (surface) % surface->scale != 0) ||
       (get_buffer_height (surface) % surface->scale != 0))
     {
-      struct wl_resource *resource = surface->resource;
-      pid_t pid;
+      if (surface->role && !META_IS_WAYLAND_CURSOR_SURFACE (surface->role))
+        {
+          wl_resource_post_error (surface->resource, WL_SURFACE_ERROR_INVALID_SIZE,
+                                  "Buffer size (%dx%d) must be an integer multiple "
+                                  "of the buffer_scale (%d).",
+                                  get_buffer_width (surface),
+                                  get_buffer_height (surface), surface->scale);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          struct wl_resource *resource = surface->resource;
+          pid_t pid;
 
-      wl_client_get_credentials (wl_resource_get_client (resource), &pid, NULL,
-                                 NULL);
+          wl_client_get_credentials (wl_resource_get_client (resource), &pid, NULL,
+                                     NULL);
 
-      g_warning ("Bug in client with pid %ld: Buffer size (%dx%d) is not an"
-                 "integer multiple of the buffer_scale (%d).", (long) pid,
-                 get_buffer_width (surface), get_buffer_height (surface),
-                 surface->scale);
+          g_warning ("Bug in client with pid %ld: Cursor buffer size (%dx%d) is "
+                     "not an integer multiple of the buffer_scale (%d).",
+                     (long) pid, get_buffer_width (surface),
+                     get_buffer_height (surface), surface->scale);
+        }
     }
 
   if (state->has_new_buffer_transform)