diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0f64aceba..81f1c3144 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ MUTTER_PC_MODULES="
    xrender
    x11-xcb
    xcb-randr
+   xcb-res
 "
 
 GLIB_GSETTINGS
diff --git a/src/core/window-private.h b/src/core/window-private.h
index 7793dccb9..67abbccd8 100644
--- a/src/core/window-private.h
+++ b/src/core/window-private.h
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ struct _MetaWindowClass
   gboolean (*update_icon)        (MetaWindow       *window,
                                   cairo_surface_t **icon,
                                   cairo_surface_t **mini_icon);
+  uint32_t (*get_client_pid)     (MetaWindow *window);
   void (*update_main_monitor)    (MetaWindow *window);
   void (*main_monitor_changed)   (MetaWindow *window,
                                   const MetaMonitorInfo *old);
@@ -705,6 +706,8 @@ void meta_window_handle_leave (MetaWindow  *window);
 void meta_window_handle_ungrabbed_event (MetaWindow         *window,
                                          const ClutterEvent *event);
 
+uint32_t meta_window_get_client_pid (MetaWindow *window);
+
 void meta_window_get_client_area_rect (const MetaWindow      *window,
                                        cairo_rectangle_int_t *rect);
 void meta_window_get_titlebar_rect (MetaWindow    *window,
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 60716fb56..3fea48353 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -253,6 +253,12 @@ meta_window_real_update_icon (MetaWindow       *window,
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static uint32_t
+meta_window_real_get_client_pid (MetaWindow *window)
+{
+  return 0;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -420,6 +426,7 @@ meta_window_class_init (MetaWindowClass *klass)
   klass->update_struts = meta_window_real_update_struts;
   klass->get_default_skip_hints = meta_window_real_get_default_skip_hints;
   klass->update_icon = meta_window_real_update_icon;
+  klass->get_client_pid = meta_window_real_get_client_pid;
 
   obj_props[PROP_TITLE] =
     g_param_spec_string ("title",
@@ -7055,6 +7062,21 @@ meta_window_get_transient_for (MetaWindow *window)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_window_get_client_pid:
+ * @window: a #MetaWindow
+ *
+ * Returns the pid of the process that created this window, if available
+ * to the windowing system.
+ *
+ * Return value: the pid, or 0 if not known.
+ */
+uint32_t
+meta_window_get_client_pid (MetaWindow *window)
+{
+  return META_WINDOW_GET_CLASS (window)->get_client_pid (window);
+}
+
 /**
  * meta_window_get_pid:
  * @window: a #MetaWindow
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
index 7dd6f4247..b74a8fac6 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-window-wayland.c
@@ -453,6 +453,17 @@ meta_window_wayland_main_monitor_changed (MetaWindow *window,
   meta_window_emit_size_changed (window);
 }
 
+static uint32_t
+meta_window_wayland_get_client_pid (MetaWindow *window)
+{
+  MetaWaylandSurface *surface = window->surface;
+  struct wl_resource *resource = surface->resource;
+  pid_t pid;
+
+  wl_client_get_credentials (wl_resource_get_client (resource), &pid, NULL, NULL);
+  return (uint32_t)pid;
+}
+
 static void
 appears_focused_changed (GObject    *object,
                          GParamSpec *pspec,
@@ -487,6 +498,7 @@ meta_window_wayland_class_init (MetaWindowWaylandClass *klass)
   window_class->move_resize_internal = meta_window_wayland_move_resize_internal;
   window_class->update_main_monitor = meta_window_wayland_update_main_monitor;
   window_class->main_monitor_changed = meta_window_wayland_main_monitor_changed;
+  window_class->get_client_pid = meta_window_wayland_get_client_pid;
 }
 
 MetaWindow *
diff --git a/src/x11/window-x11.c b/src/x11/window-x11.c
index 3d47f0d4e..c8b9b0426 100644
--- a/src/x11/window-x11.c
+++ b/src/x11/window-x11.c
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <X11/Xlibint.h> /* For display->resource_mask */
+#include <X11/Xlib-xcb.h>
+
+#include <xcb/res.h>
 
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h>
 
@@ -1481,6 +1484,42 @@ meta_window_x11_main_monitor_changed (MetaWindow *window,
 {
 }
 
+static uint32_t
+meta_window_x11_get_client_pid (MetaWindow *window)
+{
+  xcb_connection_t *xcb = XGetXCBConnection (window->display->xdisplay);
+  xcb_res_client_id_spec_t spec = { 0 };
+  xcb_res_query_client_ids_cookie_t cookie;
+  xcb_res_query_client_ids_reply_t *reply = NULL;
+
+  spec.client = window->xwindow;
+  spec.mask = XCB_RES_CLIENT_ID_MASK_LOCAL_CLIENT_PID;
+
+  cookie = xcb_res_query_client_ids (xcb, 1, &spec);
+  reply = xcb_res_query_client_ids_reply (xcb, cookie, NULL);
+
+  if (reply == NULL)
+    return 0;
+
+  uint32_t pid = 0, *value;
+  xcb_res_client_id_value_iterator_t it;
+  for (it = xcb_res_query_client_ids_ids_iterator (reply);
+       it.rem;
+       xcb_res_client_id_value_next (&it))
+    {
+      spec = it.data->spec;
+      if (spec.mask & XCB_RES_CLIENT_ID_MASK_LOCAL_CLIENT_PID)
+        {
+          value = xcb_res_client_id_value_value (it.data);
+          pid = *value;
+          break;
+        }
+    }
+
+  free (reply);
+  return pid;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_x11_class_init (MetaWindowX11Class *klass)
 {
@@ -1501,6 +1540,7 @@ meta_window_x11_class_init (MetaWindowX11Class *klass)
   window_class->update_icon = meta_window_x11_update_icon;
   window_class->update_main_monitor = meta_window_x11_update_main_monitor;
   window_class->main_monitor_changed = meta_window_x11_main_monitor_changed;
+  window_class->get_client_pid = meta_window_x11_get_client_pid;
 }
 
 void