diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
index 7964b3fb8..5aac8fba7 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.c
@@ -327,29 +327,6 @@ meta_wayland_xkb_info_destroy (MetaWaylandXkbInfo *xkb_info)
     close (xkb_info->keymap_fd);
 }
 
-static void
-set_modifiers (MetaWaylandKeyboard   *keyboard,
-               guint32                serial,
-               const ClutterKeyEvent *event)
-{
-  MetaWaylandKeyboardGrab *grab = keyboard->grab;
-  struct xkb_state *state = keyboard->xkb_info.state;
-  enum xkb_state_component changed_state;
-
-  changed_state = xkb_state_update_key (state,
-                                        event->hardware_keycode,
-                                        event->type == CLUTTER_KEY_PRESS ? XKB_KEY_DOWN : XKB_KEY_UP);
-  if (changed_state == 0)
-    return;
-
-  grab->interface->modifiers (grab,
-                              serial,
-                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_DEPRESSED),
-                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_LATCHED),
-                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_LOCKED),
-                              xkb_state_serialize_layout (state, XKB_STATE_LAYOUT_EFFECTIVE));
-}
-
 static void
 update_pressed_keys (MetaWaylandKeyboard   *keyboard,
 		     uint32_t               evdev_code,
@@ -397,12 +374,36 @@ evdev_code (const ClutterKeyEvent *event)
   return event->hardware_keycode - 8;
 }
 
+void
+meta_wayland_keyboard_update (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard,
+                              const ClutterKeyEvent *event)
+{
+  MetaWaylandKeyboardGrab *grab = keyboard->grab;
+  gboolean is_press = event->type == CLUTTER_KEY_PRESS;
+  struct xkb_state *state = keyboard->xkb_info.state;
+  enum xkb_state_component changed_state;
+
+  update_pressed_keys (keyboard, evdev_code (event), is_press);
+
+  changed_state = xkb_state_update_key (state,
+                                        event->hardware_keycode,
+                                        is_press ? XKB_KEY_DOWN : XKB_KEY_UP);
+  if (changed_state == 0)
+    return;
+
+  grab->interface->modifiers (grab,
+                              wl_display_next_serial (keyboard->display),
+                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_DEPRESSED),
+                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_LATCHED),
+                              xkb_state_serialize_mods (state, XKB_STATE_MODS_LOCKED),
+                              xkb_state_serialize_layout (state, XKB_STATE_LAYOUT_EFFECTIVE));
+}
+
 gboolean
 meta_wayland_keyboard_handle_event (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard,
                                     const ClutterKeyEvent *event)
 {
   gboolean is_press = event->type == CLUTTER_KEY_PRESS;
-  uint32_t serial;
   gboolean handled;
 
   /* Synthetic key events are for autorepeat. Ignore those, as
@@ -414,12 +415,6 @@ meta_wayland_keyboard_handle_event (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard,
 		is_press ? "press" : "release",
 		event->hardware_keycode);
 
-  update_pressed_keys (keyboard, evdev_code, is_press);
-
-  serial = wl_display_next_serial (keyboard->display);
-
-  set_modifiers (keyboard, serial, event);
-
   handled = keyboard->grab->interface->key (keyboard->grab,
 					    event->time,
 					    evdev_code (event),
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.h
index 468b9ce18..13fbf0a0b 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-keyboard.h
@@ -136,4 +136,8 @@ meta_wayland_keyboard_end_grab (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard);
 void
 meta_wayland_keyboard_release (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard);
 
+void
+meta_wayland_keyboard_update (MetaWaylandKeyboard *keyboard,
+                              const ClutterKeyEvent *event);
+
 #endif /* __META_WAYLAND_KEYBOARD_H__ */
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
index ed2ef55be..85c244b30 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ count_buttons (const ClutterEvent *event)
   return count;
 }
 
-void
+static void
 meta_wayland_seat_update_pointer (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
                                   const ClutterEvent *event)
 {
@@ -370,6 +370,27 @@ meta_wayland_seat_update_pointer (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
     }
 }
 
+void
+meta_wayland_seat_update (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
+                          const ClutterEvent *event)
+{
+  switch (event->type)
+    {
+    case CLUTTER_MOTION:
+    case CLUTTER_BUTTON_PRESS:
+    case CLUTTER_BUTTON_RELEASE:
+    case CLUTTER_SCROLL:
+      meta_wayland_seat_update_pointer (seat, event);
+      break;
+    case CLUTTER_KEY_PRESS:
+    case CLUTTER_KEY_RELEASE:
+      meta_wayland_keyboard_update (&seat->keyboard, (const ClutterKeyEvent *) event);
+      break;
+    default:
+      break;
+    }
+}
+
 gboolean
 meta_wayland_seat_handle_event (MetaWaylandSeat *seat,
                                 const ClutterEvent *event)
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
index 429319304..a038e2e32 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-seat.h
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ MetaWaylandSeat *
 meta_wayland_seat_new (struct wl_display *display);
 
 void
-meta_wayland_seat_update_pointer (MetaWaylandSeat *seat,
-                                  const ClutterEvent *event);
+meta_wayland_seat_update (MetaWaylandSeat    *seat,
+                          const ClutterEvent *event);
 
 gboolean
 meta_wayland_seat_handle_event (MetaWaylandSeat *seat,
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
index a13a920ae..a01d6f971 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
@@ -508,6 +508,15 @@ stage_destroy_cb (void)
   meta_quit (META_EXIT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_wayland_compositor_update:
+ * @compositor: the #MetaWaylandCompositor instance
+ * @event: the #ClutterEvent used to update @seat's state
+ *
+ * This is used to update display server state like updating cursor
+ * position and keeping track of buttons and keys pressed. It must be
+ * called for all input events coming from the underlying devices.
+ */
 void
 meta_wayland_compositor_update (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor,
                                 const ClutterEvent    *event)
@@ -536,18 +545,18 @@ meta_wayland_compositor_update (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor,
       meta_idle_monitor_reset_idletime (device_monitor);
     }
 
-  switch (event->type)
-    {
-    case CLUTTER_MOTION:
-    case CLUTTER_BUTTON_PRESS:
-    case CLUTTER_BUTTON_RELEASE:
-    case CLUTTER_SCROLL:
-      meta_wayland_seat_update_pointer (compositor->seat, event);
-    default:
-      break;
-    }
+  meta_wayland_seat_update (compositor->seat, event);
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_wayland_compositor_handle_event:
+ * @compositor: the #MetaWaylandCompositor instance
+ * @event: the #ClutterEvent to be sent
+ *
+ * This method sends events to the focused wayland client, if any.
+ *
+ * Return value: whether @event was sent to a wayland client.
+ */
 gboolean
 meta_wayland_compositor_handle_event (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor,
                                       const ClutterEvent    *event)