diff --git a/src/backends/meta-backend.c b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
index d6892f5bb..f57a78580 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-backend.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-backend.c
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ meta_backend_init_wayland_display (MetaBackend *backend)
 {
   MetaBackendPrivate *priv = meta_backend_get_instance_private (backend);
 
-  priv->wayland_compositor = meta_wayland_compositor_new ();
+  priv->wayland_compositor = meta_wayland_compositor_new (backend);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-private.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-private.h
index e28ca06d6..a7e5604fc 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-private.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-private.h
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ struct _MetaWaylandCompositor
 {
   GObject parent;
 
+  MetaBackend *backend;
+
   struct wl_display *wayland_display;
   char *display_name;
   GHashTable *outputs;
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
index a7bf9158c..b37d9fdcf 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
@@ -362,9 +362,14 @@ meta_wayland_get_xwayland_auth_file (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor)
 }
 
 MetaWaylandCompositor *
-meta_wayland_compositor_new (void)
+meta_wayland_compositor_new (MetaBackend *backend)
 {
-  return g_object_new (META_TYPE_WAYLAND_COMPOSITOR, NULL);
+  MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor;
+
+  compositor = g_object_new (META_TYPE_WAYLAND_COMPOSITOR, NULL);
+  compositor->backend = backend;
+
+  return compositor;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
index 15b7310ba..4164563e8 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ void                    meta_wayland_init                       (void);
 
 void                    meta_wayland_finalize                   (void);
 
-MetaWaylandCompositor * meta_wayland_compositor_new             (void);
+MetaWaylandCompositor * meta_wayland_compositor_new             (MetaBackend *backend);
 
 void                    meta_wayland_compositor_setup           (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor);