diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
index 4355e3cad..763233739 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ typedef struct _MetaThreadImplPrivate
   GMainContext *thread_context;
   GSource *impl_source;
   GAsyncQueue *task_queue;
+
+  gboolean is_realtime;
 } MetaThreadImplPrivate;
 
 struct _MetaThreadTask
@@ -551,7 +553,8 @@ meta_thread_impl_dispatch (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl)
 }
 
 void
-meta_thread_impl_run (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl)
+meta_thread_impl_run (MetaThreadImpl         *thread_impl,
+                      MetaThreadImplRunFlags  flags)
 {
   MetaThreadImplPrivate *priv =
     meta_thread_impl_get_instance_private (thread_impl);
@@ -559,7 +562,9 @@ meta_thread_impl_run (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl)
   meta_assert_in_thread_impl (priv->thread);
 
   priv->loop = g_main_loop_new (priv->thread_context, FALSE);
+  priv->is_realtime = !!(flags & META_THREAD_IMPL_RUN_FLAG_REALTIME);
   g_main_loop_run (priv->loop);
+  priv->is_realtime = FALSE;
 }
 
 void
@@ -572,3 +577,12 @@ meta_thread_impl_queue_task (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl,
   g_async_queue_push (priv->task_queue, task);
   g_main_context_wakeup (priv->thread_context);
 }
+
+gboolean
+meta_thread_impl_is_realtime (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl)
+{
+  MetaThreadImplPrivate *priv =
+    meta_thread_impl_get_instance_private (thread_impl);
+
+  return priv->is_realtime;
+}
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.h b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.h
index 0a8c2c2ef..4d36949eb 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.h
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@
 
 typedef struct _MetaThread MetaThread;
 
+typedef enum _MetaThreadImplRunFlags
+{
+  META_THREAD_IMPL_RUN_FLAG_NONE = 0,
+  META_THREAD_IMPL_RUN_FLAG_REALTIME = 1 << 0,
+} MetaThreadImplRunFlags;
+
 #define META_TYPE_THREAD_IMPL (meta_thread_impl_get_type ())
 META_EXPORT_TEST
 G_DECLARE_DERIVABLE_TYPE (MetaThreadImpl, meta_thread_impl,
@@ -67,12 +73,16 @@ void meta_thread_impl_queue_task (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl,
 
 void meta_thread_impl_terminate (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl);
 
-void meta_thread_impl_run (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl);
+void meta_thread_impl_run (MetaThreadImpl         *thread_impl,
+                           MetaThreadImplRunFlags  flags);
 
 int meta_thread_impl_dispatch (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl);
 
 gboolean meta_thread_impl_is_in_impl (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl);
 
+META_EXPORT_TEST
+gboolean meta_thread_impl_is_realtime (MetaThreadImpl *thread_impl);
+
 MetaThreadTask * meta_thread_task_new (MetaThreadTaskFunc          func,
                                        gpointer                    user_data,
                                        GDestroyNotify              user_data_destroy,
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c b/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
index bc192b42a..5ca35b7da 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ thread_impl_func (gpointer user_data)
   MetaThreadPrivate *priv = meta_thread_get_instance_private (thread);
   MetaContext *context = meta_backend_get_context (priv->backend);
   MetaThreadImpl *impl = priv->impl;
+  MetaThreadImplRunFlags run_flags = META_THREAD_IMPL_RUN_FLAG_NONE;
 #ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
   GMainContext *thread_context = meta_thread_impl_get_main_context (impl);
   MetaProfiler *profiler = meta_context_get_profiler (context);
@@ -320,10 +321,11 @@ thread_impl_func (gpointer user_data)
       else
         {
           g_message ("Made thread '%s' realtime scheduled", priv->name);
+          run_flags |= META_THREAD_IMPL_RUN_FLAG_REALTIME;
         }
     }
 
-  meta_thread_impl_run (impl);
+  meta_thread_impl_run (impl, run_flags);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_PROFILER
   meta_profiler_unregister_thread (profiler, thread_context);
diff --git a/src/tests/native-thread.c b/src/tests/native-thread.c
index 2596b1418..2be9c0acc 100644
--- a/src/tests/native-thread.c
+++ b/src/tests/native-thread.c
@@ -1152,6 +1152,8 @@ assert_realtime (MetaThreadImpl  *thread_impl,
   g_autoptr (GVariant) priority_variant = NULL;
   uint32_t priority = 0;
 
+  g_assert_true (meta_thread_impl_is_realtime (thread_impl));
+
   ret = call_rtkit_mock_method ("GetThreadPriority",
                                 g_variant_new ("(t)", gettid ()));
 
@@ -1199,6 +1201,8 @@ assert_no_realtime (MetaThreadImpl  *thread_impl,
   g_autoptr (GVariant) priority_variant = NULL;
   uint32_t priority = UINT32_MAX;
 
+  g_assert_false (meta_thread_impl_is_realtime (thread_impl));
+
   ret = call_rtkit_mock_method ("GetThreadPriority",
                                 g_variant_new ("(t)", gettid ()));