diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
index eb79737f1..0a456bee6 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.c
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 
 #include "meta-stage-private.h"
 
+G_DEFINE_INTERFACE (MetaHwCursorInhibitor, meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor,
+                    G_TYPE_OBJECT)
+
 struct _MetaCursorRendererPrivate
 {
   float current_x;
@@ -44,6 +47,8 @@ struct _MetaCursorRendererPrivate
   MetaOverlay *stage_overlay;
   gboolean handled_by_backend;
   guint post_paint_func_id;
+
+  GList *hw_cursor_inhibitors;
 };
 typedef struct _MetaCursorRendererPrivate MetaCursorRendererPrivate;
 
@@ -55,6 +60,21 @@ static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL];
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (MetaCursorRenderer, meta_cursor_renderer, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
+static gboolean
+meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor_is_cursor_sprite_inhibited (MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor,
+                                                     MetaCursorSprite      *cursor_sprite)
+{
+  MetaHwCursorInhibitorInterface *iface =
+    META_HW_CURSOR_INHIBITOR_GET_IFACE (inhibitor);
+
+  return iface->is_cursor_sprite_inhibited (inhibitor, cursor_sprite);
+}
+
+static void
+meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor_default_init (MetaHwCursorInhibitorInterface *iface)
+{
+}
+
 void
 meta_cursor_renderer_emit_painted (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
                                    MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite)
@@ -283,3 +303,45 @@ meta_cursor_renderer_get_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer)
 
   return priv->displayed_cursor;
 }
+
+void
+meta_cursor_renderer_add_hw_cursor_inhibitor (MetaCursorRenderer    *renderer,
+                                              MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor)
+{
+  MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv =
+    meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
+
+  priv->hw_cursor_inhibitors = g_list_prepend (priv->hw_cursor_inhibitors,
+                                               inhibitor);
+}
+
+void
+meta_cursor_renderer_remove_hw_cursor_inhibitor (MetaCursorRenderer    *renderer,
+                                                 MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor)
+{
+  MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv =
+    meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
+
+  priv->hw_cursor_inhibitors = g_list_remove (priv->hw_cursor_inhibitors,
+                                              inhibitor);
+}
+
+gboolean
+meta_cursor_renderer_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
+                                              MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite)
+{
+  MetaCursorRendererPrivate *priv =
+    meta_cursor_renderer_get_instance_private (renderer);
+  GList *l;
+
+  for (l = priv->hw_cursor_inhibitors; l; l = l->next)
+    {
+      MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor = l->data;
+
+      if (meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor_is_cursor_sprite_inhibited (inhibitor,
+                                                               cursor_sprite))
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.h b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.h
index 830d16ef6..092f17f1e 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-renderer.h
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@
 #include <meta/screen.h>
 #include "meta-cursor.h"
 
+#define META_TYPE_HW_CURSOR_INHIBITOR (meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor_get_type ())
+G_DECLARE_INTERFACE (MetaHwCursorInhibitor, meta_hw_cursor_inhibitor,
+                     META, HW_CURSOR_INHIBITOR, GObject)
+
+struct _MetaHwCursorInhibitorInterface
+{
+  GTypeInterface parent_iface;
+
+  gboolean (* is_cursor_sprite_inhibited) (MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor,
+                                           MetaCursorSprite      *cursor_sprite);
+};
+
 #define META_TYPE_CURSOR_RENDERER (meta_cursor_renderer_get_type ())
 G_DECLARE_DERIVABLE_TYPE (MetaCursorRenderer, meta_cursor_renderer,
                           META, CURSOR_RENDERER, GObject);
@@ -55,6 +67,15 @@ void meta_cursor_renderer_force_update (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer);
 
 MetaCursorSprite * meta_cursor_renderer_get_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer);
 
+void meta_cursor_renderer_add_hw_cursor_inhibitor (MetaCursorRenderer    *renderer,
+                                                   MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor);
+
+void meta_cursor_renderer_remove_hw_cursor_inhibitor (MetaCursorRenderer    *renderer,
+                                                      MetaHwCursorInhibitor *inhibitor);
+
+gboolean meta_cursor_renderer_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
+                                                       MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite);
+
 ClutterRect meta_cursor_renderer_calculate_rect (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
                                                  MetaCursorSprite   *cursor_sprite);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-cursor-renderer-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-cursor-renderer-native.c
index 29800953b..3ff4e81fb 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-cursor-renderer-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-cursor-renderer-native.c
@@ -587,6 +587,10 @@ should_have_hw_cursor (MetaCursorRenderer *renderer,
   if (!cursor_sprite)
     return FALSE;
 
+  if (meta_cursor_renderer_is_hw_cursors_inhibited (renderer,
+                                                    cursor_sprite))
+    return FALSE;
+
   for (l = gpus; l; l = l->next)
     {
       MetaGpuKms *gpu_kms = l->data;