diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat-private.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat-private.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2adb7bcd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat-private.h
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Clutter.
+ *
+ * An OpenGL based 'interactive canvas' library.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef CLUTTER_SEAT_PRIVATE_H
+#define CLUTTER_SEAT_PRIVATE_H
+
+#include "clutter/clutter-types.h"
+
+CLUTTER_EXPORT
+void clutter_seat_destroy (ClutterSeat *seat);
+
+#endif /* CLUTTER_SEAT_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat.c
index 8236f2609..4aa8e7abb 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-seat.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "clutter-mutter.h"
 #include "clutter-private.h"
 #include "clutter-seat.h"
+#include "clutter-seat-private.h"
 #include "clutter-virtual-input-device.h"
 
 enum
@@ -708,3 +709,10 @@ clutter_seat_query_state (ClutterSeat          *seat,
                                                      coords,
                                                      modifiers);
 }
+
+void
+clutter_seat_destroy (ClutterSeat *seat)
+{
+  g_object_run_dispose (G_OBJECT (seat));
+  g_object_unref (seat);
+}
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index 609f690ac..f2b7bd89a 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 #include "backends/meta-stage-private.h"
 #include "backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.h"
 #include "clutter/clutter-mutter.h"
+#include "clutter/clutter-seat-private.h"
 #include "meta/main.h"
 #include "meta/meta-backend.h"
 #include "meta/util.h"
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ meta_backend_dispose (GObject *object)
   g_clear_object (&priv->profiler);
 #endif
 
-  g_clear_object (&priv->default_seat);
+  g_clear_pointer (&priv->default_seat, clutter_seat_destroy);
   g_clear_object (&priv->clutter_backend);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_backend_parent_class)->dispose (object);
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
index 133bf58fe..6dcc284ef 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
@@ -224,33 +224,22 @@ meta_seat_native_get_property (GObject    *object,
 }
 
 static void
-meta_seat_native_finalize (GObject *object)
+meta_seat_native_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
   MetaSeatNative *seat = META_SEAT_NATIVE (object);
-  GList *iter;
 
-  if (seat->xkb_keymap)
-    xkb_keymap_unref (seat->xkb_keymap);
+  g_clear_pointer (&seat->xkb_keymap, xkb_keymap_unref);
   g_clear_object (&seat->core_pointer);
   g_clear_object (&seat->core_keyboard);
   g_clear_pointer (&seat->impl, meta_seat_impl_destroy);
-
-  for (iter = seat->devices; iter; iter = g_list_next (iter))
-    {
-      ClutterInputDevice *device = iter->data;
-
-      g_object_unref (device);
-    }
-  g_list_free (seat->devices);
-
-  g_hash_table_destroy (seat->reserved_virtual_slots);
-
+  g_list_free_full (g_steal_pointer (&seat->devices), g_object_unref);
+  g_clear_pointer (&seat->reserved_virtual_slots, g_hash_table_destroy);
   g_clear_pointer (&seat->tablet_cursors, g_hash_table_unref);
-  g_object_unref (seat->cursor_renderer);
+  g_clear_object (&seat->cursor_renderer);
 
-  g_free (seat->seat_id);
+  g_clear_pointer (&seat->seat_id, g_free);
 
-  G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_seat_native_parent_class)->finalize (object);
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_seat_native_parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
 
 static ClutterInputDevice *
@@ -381,7 +370,7 @@ meta_seat_native_class_init (MetaSeatNativeClass *klass)
   object_class->constructed = meta_seat_native_constructed;
   object_class->set_property = meta_seat_native_set_property;
   object_class->get_property = meta_seat_native_get_property;
-  object_class->finalize = meta_seat_native_finalize;
+  object_class->dispose = meta_seat_native_dispose;
 
   seat_class->get_pointer = meta_seat_native_get_pointer;
   seat_class->get_keyboard = meta_seat_native_get_keyboard;