diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
index 706991828..5403f8c04 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
@@ -529,6 +529,8 @@ static const MetaWaylandKeyboardGrabInterface default_keyboard_grab_interface =
 void
 meta_wayland_keyboard_enable (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard)
 {
+  MetaWaylandInputDevice *input_device = META_WAYLAND_INPUT_DEVICE (keyboard);
+  MetaWaylandSeat *seat = meta_wayland_input_device_get_seat (input_device);
   MetaBackend *backend = backend_from_keyboard (keyboard);
   ClutterBackend *clutter_backend = clutter_get_default_backend ();
 
@@ -549,6 +551,8 @@ meta_wayland_keyboard_enable (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard)
                     G_CALLBACK (on_kbd_a11y_mask_changed), keyboard);
 
   meta_wayland_keyboard_take_keymap (keyboard, meta_backend_get_keymap (backend));
+
+  meta_wayland_keyboard_set_focus (keyboard, seat->input_focus);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
index 07439f22b..ee91ef1c3 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
@@ -155,14 +155,7 @@ meta_wayland_seat_set_capabilities (MetaWaylandSeat *seat,
     meta_wayland_pointer_disable (seat->pointer);
 
   if (CAPABILITY_ENABLED (prev_flags, flags, WL_SEAT_CAPABILITY_KEYBOARD))
-    {
-      MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor =
-        meta_wayland_seat_get_compositor (seat);
-
-      meta_wayland_keyboard_enable (seat->keyboard);
-
-      meta_wayland_compositor_sync_focus (compositor);
-    }
+    meta_wayland_keyboard_enable (seat->keyboard);
   else if (CAPABILITY_DISABLED (prev_flags, flags, WL_SEAT_CAPABILITY_KEYBOARD))
     meta_wayland_keyboard_disable (seat->keyboard);
 
@@ -409,6 +402,13 @@ meta_wayland_seat_handle_event (MetaWaylandSeat *seat,
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static void
+input_focus_destroyed (MetaWaylandSurface *surface,
+                       MetaWaylandSeat    *seat)
+{
+  meta_wayland_seat_set_input_focus (seat, NULL);
+}
+
 void
 meta_wayland_seat_set_input_focus (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
                                    MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
@@ -416,6 +416,26 @@ meta_wayland_seat_set_input_focus (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
   MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor = meta_wayland_seat_get_compositor (seat);
   MetaWaylandTabletSeat *tablet_seat;
 
+  if (seat->input_focus == surface)
+    return;
+
+  if (seat->input_focus)
+    {
+      g_clear_signal_handler (&seat->input_focus_destroy_id,
+                              seat->input_focus);
+      seat->input_focus = NULL;
+    }
+
+  seat->input_focus = surface;
+
+  if (surface)
+    {
+      seat->input_focus_destroy_id =
+        g_signal_connect (surface, "destroy",
+                          G_CALLBACK (input_focus_destroyed),
+                          seat);
+    }
+
   if (meta_wayland_seat_has_keyboard (seat))
     {
       meta_wayland_keyboard_set_focus (seat->keyboard, surface);
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
index ba2cf5644..df2e92dda 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ struct _MetaWaylandSeat
 
   MetaWaylandTextInput *text_input;
 
+  MetaWaylandSurface *input_focus;
+  gulong input_focus_destroy_id;
+
   guint capabilities;
 };