diff --git a/src/core/display-private.h b/src/core/display-private.h
index 86284fe10..3d2e08d5d 100644
--- a/src/core/display-private.h
+++ b/src/core/display-private.h
@@ -138,6 +138,14 @@ struct _MetaDisplay
    */
   guint allow_terminal_deactivation : 1;
 
+  /* If true, server->focus_serial refers to us changing the focus; in
+   * this case, we can ignore focus events that have exactly focus_serial,
+   * since we take care to make another request immediately afterwards.
+   * But if focus is being changed by another client, we have to accept
+   * multiple events with the same serial.
+   */
+  guint focused_by_us : 1;
+
   guint static_gravity_works : 1;
   
   /*< private-ish >*/
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index c9ffb4716..a9385156d 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -1865,9 +1865,11 @@ static void
 update_focus_window (MetaDisplay *display,
                      MetaWindow  *window,
                      Window       xwindow,
-                     gulong       serial)
+                     gulong       serial,
+                     gboolean     focused_by_us)
 {
   display->focus_serial = serial;
+  display->focused_by_us = focused_by_us;
 
   if (display->focus_xwindow == xwindow)
     return;
@@ -1978,7 +1980,8 @@ request_xserver_input_focus_change (MetaDisplay *display,
   update_focus_window (display,
                        meta_window,
                        xwindow,
-                       serial);
+                       serial,
+                       TRUE);
 
   meta_error_trap_pop (display);
 
@@ -2092,12 +2095,20 @@ handle_window_focus_event (MetaDisplay  *display,
   else
     g_return_if_reached ();
 
-  if (display->server_focus_serial > display->focus_serial)
+  /* If display->focused_by_us, then the focus_serial will be used only
+   * for a focus change we made and have already accounted for.
+   * (See request_xserver_input_focus_change().) Otherwise, we can get
+   * multiple focus events with the same serial.
+   */
+  if (display->server_focus_serial > display->focus_serial ||
+      (!display->focused_by_us &&
+       display->server_focus_serial == display->focus_serial))
     {
       update_focus_window (display,
                            focus_window,
                            focus_window ? focus_window->xwindow : None,
-                           display->server_focus_serial);
+                           display->server_focus_serial,
+                           FALSE);
     }
 }
 
@@ -2167,7 +2178,8 @@ event_callback (XEvent   *event,
   display->current_time = event_get_time (display, event);
   display->monitor_cache_invalidated = TRUE;
 
-  if (event->xany.serial > display->focus_serial &&
+  if (display->focused_by_us &&
+      event->xany.serial > display->focus_serial &&
       display->focus_window &&
       !window_has_xwindow (display->focus_window, display->server_focus_window))
     {
@@ -2176,7 +2188,8 @@ event_callback (XEvent   *event,
       update_focus_window (display,
                            meta_display_lookup_x_window (display, display->server_focus_window),
                            display->server_focus_window,
-                           display->server_focus_serial);
+                           display->server_focus_serial,
+                           FALSE);
     }
 
   screen = meta_display_screen_for_root (display, event->xany.window);