diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 0ce0e1c0a..dd393c0c2 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -1138,8 +1138,6 @@ meta_display_close (MetaDisplay *display,
 
   g_object_unref (display);
   the_display = NULL;
-
-  meta_quit (META_EXIT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/x11/events.c b/src/x11/events.c
index efa8f9856..6c83743e7 100644
--- a/src/x11/events.c
+++ b/src/x11/events.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "core/meta-workspace-manager-private.h"
 #include "core/window-private.h"
 #include "core/workspace-private.h"
+#include "meta/main.h"
 #include "meta/meta-backend.h"
 #include "meta/meta-x11-errors.h"
 #include "x11/meta-startup-notification-x11.h"
@@ -1149,6 +1150,7 @@ close_display_idle_cb (gpointer user_data)
   meta_display_close (x11_display->display,
                       x11_display->xselectionclear_timestamp);
   x11_display->display_close_idle = 0;
+  meta_quit (META_EXIT_SUCCESS);
 
   return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
 }