diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
index f0d1c9cdc..3d220f70c 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend-private.h
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ struct _MetaBackendClass
   void (* set_keymap) (MetaBackend *backend,
                        const char  *layouts,
                        const char  *variants,
-                       const char  *options);
+                       const char  *options,
+                       const char  *model);
 
   gboolean (* is_lid_closed) (MetaBackend *backend);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index 6733a294c..965f8e810 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -1546,9 +1546,10 @@ void
 meta_backend_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
                          const char  *layouts,
                          const char  *variants,
-                         const char  *options)
+                         const char  *options,
+                         const char  *model)
 {
-  META_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)->set_keymap (backend, layouts, variants, options);
+  META_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)->set_keymap (backend, layouts, variants, options, model);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index 418af8504..d6ab706c6 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -317,14 +317,15 @@ static void
 meta_backend_native_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
                                 const char  *layouts,
                                 const char  *variants,
-                                const char  *options)
+                                const char  *options,
+                                const char  *model)
 {
   ClutterBackend *clutter_backend = meta_backend_get_clutter_backend (backend);
   ClutterSeat *seat;
 
   seat = clutter_backend_get_default_seat (clutter_backend);
   meta_seat_native_set_keyboard_map (META_SEAT_NATIVE (seat),
-                                     layouts, variants, options);
+                                     layouts, variants, options, model);
 
   meta_backend_notify_keymap_changed (backend);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
index 1c1621808..d91287568 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ meta_seat_native_constructed (GObject *object)
   seat->core_pointer = meta_seat_impl_get_pointer (seat->impl);
   seat->core_keyboard = meta_seat_impl_get_keyboard (seat->impl);
 
-  meta_seat_native_set_keyboard_map (seat, "us", "", "");
+  meta_seat_native_set_keyboard_map (seat, "us", "", "", DEFAULT_XKB_MODEL);
 
   if (G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_seat_native_parent_class)->constructed)
     G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_seat_native_parent_class)->constructed (object);
@@ -480,14 +480,15 @@ meta_seat_native_reclaim_devices (MetaSeatNative *seat)
 static struct xkb_keymap *
 create_keymap (const char *layouts,
                const char *variants,
-               const char *options)
+               const char *options,
+               const char *model)
 {
   struct xkb_rule_names names;
   struct xkb_keymap *keymap;
   struct xkb_context *context;
 
   names.rules = DEFAULT_XKB_RULES_FILE;
-  names.model = DEFAULT_XKB_MODEL;
+  names.model = model;
   names.layout = layouts;
   names.variant = variants;
   names.options = options;
@@ -513,17 +514,18 @@ void
 meta_seat_native_set_keyboard_map (MetaSeatNative *seat,
                                    const char     *layouts,
                                    const char     *variants,
-                                   const char     *options)
+                                   const char     *options,
+                                   const char     *model)
 {
   struct xkb_keymap *keymap, *impl_keymap;
 
-  keymap = create_keymap (layouts, variants, options);
-  impl_keymap = create_keymap (layouts, variants, options);
+  keymap = create_keymap (layouts, variants, options, model);
+  impl_keymap = create_keymap (layouts, variants, options, model);
 
   if (keymap == NULL)
     {
       g_warning ("Unable to load configured keymap: rules=%s, model=%s, layout=%s, variant=%s, options=%s",
-                 DEFAULT_XKB_RULES_FILE, DEFAULT_XKB_MODEL, layouts,
+                 DEFAULT_XKB_RULES_FILE, model, layouts,
                  variants, options);
       return;
     }
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.h b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.h
index b85cef66c..e82d0043b 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.h
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.h
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ void  meta_seat_native_reclaim_devices (MetaSeatNative *seat);
 void meta_seat_native_set_keyboard_map (MetaSeatNative *seat,
                                         const char     *layouts,
                                         const char     *variants,
-                                        const char     *options);
+                                        const char     *options,
+                                        const char     *model);
 
 struct xkb_keymap * meta_seat_native_get_keyboard_map (MetaSeatNative *seat);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-backend-x11-cm.c b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-backend-x11-cm.c
index 3b16042bc..12be06dc5 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-backend-x11-cm.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/cm/meta-backend-x11-cm.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct _MetaBackendX11Cm
   char *keymap_layouts;
   char *keymap_variants;
   char *keymap_options;
+  char *keymap_model;
   int locked_group;
 
   MetaInputSettings *input_settings;
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ get_xkbrf_var_defs (Display           *xdisplay,
                     const char        *layouts,
                     const char        *variants,
                     const char        *options,
+                    const char        *model,
                     char             **rules_p,
                     XkbRF_VarDefsRec  *var_defs)
 {
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ get_xkbrf_var_defs (Display           *xdisplay,
   if (!XkbRF_GetNamesProp (xdisplay, &rules, var_defs) || !rules)
     {
       rules = strdup (DEFAULT_XKB_RULES_FILE);
-      var_defs->model = strdup (DEFAULT_XKB_MODEL);
+      var_defs->model = NULL;
       var_defs->layout = NULL;
       var_defs->variant = NULL;
       var_defs->options = NULL;
@@ -245,6 +247,8 @@ get_xkbrf_var_defs (Display           *xdisplay,
   var_defs->variant = strdup (variants);
   free (var_defs->options);
   var_defs->options = strdup (options);
+  free (var_defs->model);
+  var_defs->model = strdup (model);
 
   /* Sometimes, the property is a file path, and sometimes it's
      not. Normalize it so it's always a file path. */
@@ -319,13 +323,15 @@ apply_keymap (MetaBackendX11 *x11)
 
   if (!x11_cm->keymap_layouts ||
       !x11_cm->keymap_variants ||
-      !x11_cm->keymap_options)
+      !x11_cm->keymap_options ||
+      !x11_cm->keymap_model)
     return;
 
   get_xkbrf_var_defs (xdisplay,
                       x11_cm->keymap_layouts,
                       x11_cm->keymap_variants,
                       x11_cm->keymap_options,
+                      x11_cm->keymap_model,
                       &rules_file_path,
                       &xkb_var_defs);
 
@@ -353,7 +359,8 @@ static void
 meta_backend_x11_cm_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
                                 const char  *layouts,
                                 const char  *variants,
-                                const char  *options)
+                                const char  *options,
+                                const char  *model)
 {
   MetaBackendX11 *x11 = META_BACKEND_X11 (backend);
   MetaBackendX11Cm *x11_cm = META_BACKEND_X11_CM (x11);
@@ -364,6 +371,8 @@ meta_backend_x11_cm_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
   x11_cm->keymap_variants = g_strdup (variants);
   g_free (x11_cm->keymap_options);
   x11_cm->keymap_options = g_strdup (options);
+  g_free (x11_cm->keymap_model);
+  x11_cm->keymap_model = g_strdup (model);
 
   apply_keymap (x11);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/nested/meta-backend-x11-nested.c b/src/backends/x11/nested/meta-backend-x11-nested.c
index 9036ce81b..385098025 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/nested/meta-backend-x11-nested.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/nested/meta-backend-x11-nested.c
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ static void
 meta_backend_x11_nested_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
                                     const char  *layouts,
                                     const char  *variants,
-                                    const char  *options)
+                                    const char  *options,
+                                    const char  *model)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/compositor/plugins/default.c b/src/compositor/plugins/default.c
index 99de19ec7..6e430799f 100644
--- a/src/compositor/plugins/default.c
+++ b/src/compositor/plugins/default.c
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ init_keymap (MetaDefaultPlugin *self,
   g_autofree char *x11_layout = NULL;
   g_autofree char *x11_options = NULL;
   g_autofree char *x11_variant = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *x11_model = NULL;
 
   proxy = g_dbus_proxy_new_for_bus_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SYSTEM,
                                          (G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_DO_NOT_LOAD_PROPERTIES |
@@ -421,7 +422,14 @@ init_keymap (MetaDefaultPlugin *self,
   if (!g_variant_lookup (props, "X11Variant", "s", &x11_variant))
     x11_variant = g_strdup ("");
 
-  meta_backend_set_keymap (backend, x11_layout, x11_variant, x11_options);
+  if (!g_variant_lookup (props, "X11Model", "s", &x11_model))
+    x11_model = g_strdup ("");
+
+  meta_backend_set_keymap (backend,
+                           x11_layout,
+                           x11_variant,
+                           x11_options,
+                           x11_model);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-backend.h b/src/meta/meta-backend.h
index ef5a243ae..611f2d05f 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-backend.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-backend.h
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ META_EXPORT
 void meta_backend_set_keymap (MetaBackend *backend,
                               const char  *layouts,
                               const char  *variants,
-                              const char  *options);
+                              const char  *options,
+                              const char  *model);
 
 META_EXPORT
 void meta_backend_lock_layout_group (MetaBackend *backend,