diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 722fddd78..617ca50d0 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 #include <meta/compositor.h>
 #include <meta/compositor-mutter.h>
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
-#include <X11/cursorfont.h>
 #include "mutter-enum-types.h"
 #include "meta-idle-monitor-private.h"
 
@@ -3859,85 +3858,6 @@ meta_display_xwindow_is_a_no_focus_window (MetaDisplay *display,
   return is_a_no_focus_window;
 }
 
-Cursor
-meta_display_create_x_cursor (MetaDisplay *display,
-                              MetaCursor cursor)
-{
-  Cursor xcursor;
-  guint glyph = XC_num_glyphs;
-  const char *name = NULL;
-
-  switch (cursor)
-    {
-    case META_CURSOR_DEFAULT:
-      glyph = XC_left_ptr;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_NORTH_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_top_side;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_SOUTH_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_bottom_side;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_WEST_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_left_side;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_EAST_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_right_side;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_SE_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_bottom_right_corner;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_SW_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_bottom_left_corner;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_NE_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_top_right_corner;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_NW_RESIZE:
-      glyph = XC_top_left_corner;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_MOVE_OR_RESIZE_WINDOW:
-      glyph = XC_fleur;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_BUSY:
-      glyph = XC_watch;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_DND_IN_DRAG:
-      name = "dnd-none";
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_DND_MOVE:
-      name = "dnd-move";
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_DND_COPY:
-      name = "dnd-copy";
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_DND_UNSUPPORTED_TARGET:
-      name = "dnd-none";
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_POINTING_HAND:
-      glyph = XC_hand2;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_CROSSHAIR:
-      glyph = XC_crosshair;
-      break;
-    case META_CURSOR_IBEAM:
-      glyph = XC_xterm;
-      break;
-
-    default:
-      g_assert_not_reached ();
-      glyph = 0; /* silence compiler */
-      break;
-    }
-
-  if (name != NULL)
-    xcursor = XcursorLibraryLoadCursor (display->xdisplay, name);
-  else
-    xcursor = XCreateFontCursor (display->xdisplay, glyph);
-
-  return xcursor;
-}
-
 static Cursor
 xcursor_for_op (MetaDisplay *display,
                 MetaGrabOp   op)
diff --git a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
index 77a9898e4..03fb440be 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <gdk/gdk.h>
 
+#include <X11/cursorfont.h>
 #include <X11/extensions/Xfixes.h>
 
 #include "meta-cursor-tracker-private.h"
@@ -69,6 +70,106 @@ enum {
 
 static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL];
 
+static void
+translate_meta_cursor (MetaCursor   cursor,
+                       guint       *glyph_out,
+                       const char **name_out)
+{
+  guint glyph = XC_num_glyphs;
+  const char *name = NULL;
+
+  switch (cursor)
+    {
+    case META_CURSOR_DEFAULT:
+      glyph = XC_left_ptr;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_NORTH_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_top_side;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_SOUTH_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_bottom_side;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_WEST_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_left_side;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_EAST_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_right_side;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_SE_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_bottom_right_corner;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_SW_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_bottom_left_corner;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_NE_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_top_right_corner;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_NW_RESIZE:
+      glyph = XC_top_left_corner;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_MOVE_OR_RESIZE_WINDOW:
+      glyph = XC_fleur;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_BUSY:
+      glyph = XC_watch;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_DND_IN_DRAG:
+      name = "dnd-none";
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_DND_MOVE:
+      name = "dnd-move";
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_DND_COPY:
+      name = "dnd-copy";
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_DND_UNSUPPORTED_TARGET:
+      name = "dnd-none";
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_POINTING_HAND:
+      glyph = XC_hand2;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_CROSSHAIR:
+      glyph = XC_crosshair;
+      break;
+    case META_CURSOR_IBEAM:
+      glyph = XC_xterm;
+      break;
+
+    default:
+      g_assert_not_reached ();
+      glyph = 0; /* silence compiler */
+      break;
+    }
+
+  *glyph_out = glyph;
+  *name_out = name;
+}
+
+static Cursor
+load_cursor_on_server (MetaDisplay *display,
+                       MetaCursor   cursor)
+{
+  Cursor xcursor;
+  guint glyph;
+  const char *name;
+
+  translate_meta_cursor (cursor, &glyph, &name);
+
+  if (name != NULL)
+    xcursor = XcursorLibraryLoadCursor (display->xdisplay, name);
+  else
+    xcursor = XCreateFontCursor (display->xdisplay, glyph);
+
+  return xcursor;
+}
+
+Cursor
+meta_display_create_x_cursor (MetaDisplay *display,
+                              MetaCursor cursor)
+{
+  return load_cursor_on_server (display, cursor);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_cursor_tracker_init (MetaCursorTracker *self)
 {