diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
index e153b2448..03cccdb88 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "meta-wayland-xdg-foreign.h"
 
 static MetaWaylandCompositor _meta_wayland_compositor;
+static char *_display_name_override;
 
 MetaWaylandCompositor *
 meta_wayland_compositor_get_default (void)
@@ -307,6 +308,12 @@ meta_wayland_pre_clutter_init (void)
   clutter_wayland_set_compositor_display (compositor->wayland_display);
 }
 
+void
+meta_wayland_override_display_name (char *display_name)
+{
+  _display_name_override = g_strdup (display_name);
+}
+
 void
 meta_wayland_init (void)
 {
@@ -345,9 +352,23 @@ meta_wayland_init (void)
   if (!meta_xwayland_start (&compositor->xwayland_manager, compositor->wayland_display))
     g_error ("Failed to start X Wayland");
 
-  compositor->display_name = wl_display_add_socket_auto (compositor->wayland_display);
-  if (compositor->display_name == NULL)
-    g_error ("Failed to create socket");
+  if (_display_name_override)
+    {
+      compositor->display_name = _display_name_override;
+
+      if (wl_display_add_socket (compositor->wayland_display,
+                                 _display_name_override) != 0)
+        g_error ("Failed to create_socket");
+
+      g_clear_pointer (&_display_name_override, g_free);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      compositor->display_name =
+        wl_display_add_socket_auto (compositor->wayland_display);
+      if (compositor->display_name == NULL)
+        g_error ("Failed to create socket");
+    }
 
   set_gnome_env ("DISPLAY", meta_wayland_get_xwayland_display_name (compositor));
   set_gnome_env ("WAYLAND_DISPLAY", meta_wayland_get_wayland_display_name (compositor));
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
index 7db5ca159..af8b086f0 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <meta/types.h>
 #include "meta-wayland-types.h"
 
+void                    meta_wayland_override_display_name (char *display_name);
+
 void                    meta_wayland_pre_clutter_init           (void);
 void                    meta_wayland_init                       (void);
 void                    meta_wayland_finalize                   (void);