diff --git a/src/meta/meta-wayland-client.h b/src/meta/meta-wayland-client.h
index b32995bf9..c5f0c8376 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-wayland-client.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-wayland-client.h
@@ -60,5 +60,9 @@ META_EXPORT
 void meta_wayland_client_show_in_window_list (MetaWaylandClient *client,
                                               MetaWindow        *window);
 
+META_EXPORT
+void meta_wayland_client_make_desktop (MetaWaylandClient *client,
+                                       MetaWindow        *window);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-client.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-client.c
index 8e8b9b0b3..351f13e75 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-client.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-client.c
@@ -474,6 +474,27 @@ meta_wayland_client_show_in_window_list (MetaWaylandClient *client,
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_wayland_client_make_desktop
+ * @client: a #MetaWaylandClient
+ * @window: (not nullable): a MetaWindow
+ *
+ * Mark window as DESKTOP window
+ */
+void
+meta_wayland_client_make_desktop (MetaWaylandClient *client,
+                                  MetaWindow        *window)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (META_IS_WAYLAND_CLIENT (client));
+  g_return_if_fail (META_IS_WINDOW (window));
+  g_return_if_fail (window->type == META_WINDOW_NORMAL);
+
+  if (!meta_wayland_client_owns_window (client, window))
+    return;
+
+  meta_window_set_type (window, META_WINDOW_DESKTOP);
+}
+
 gboolean
 meta_wayland_client_matches (MetaWaylandClient      *client,
                              const struct wl_client *wayland_client)