diff --git a/src/compositor/compositor-private.h b/src/compositor/compositor-private.h
index a95df0721..3b43c6a11 100644
--- a/src/compositor/compositor-private.h
+++ b/src/compositor/compositor-private.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "compositor/meta-compositor-view.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-plugin-manager.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h"
+#include "compositor/meta-window-drag.h"
 #include "meta/compositor.h"
 #include "meta/display.h"
 
@@ -80,6 +81,13 @@ ClutterStage * meta_compositor_get_stage (MetaCompositor *compositor);
 
 gboolean meta_compositor_is_switching_workspace (MetaCompositor *compositor);
 
+gboolean meta_compositor_drag_window (MetaCompositor *compositor,
+                                      MetaWindow     *window,
+                                      MetaGrabOp      grab_op,
+                                      uint32_t        timestamp);
+
+MetaWindowDrag * meta_compositor_get_current_window_drag (MetaCompositor *compositor);
+
 void meta_compositor_grab_begin (MetaCompositor *compositor);
 
 void meta_compositor_grab_end (MetaCompositor *compositor);
diff --git a/src/compositor/compositor.c b/src/compositor/compositor.c
index 6139b78a8..dbc4aea50 100644
--- a/src/compositor/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/compositor.c
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ typedef struct _MetaCompositorPrivate
 
   MetaPluginManager *plugin_mgr;
 
+  MetaWindowDrag *current_drag;
+
   MetaLaters *laters;
 } MetaCompositorPrivate;
 
@@ -1673,3 +1675,47 @@ meta_compositor_get_laters (MetaCompositor *compositor)
   priv = meta_compositor_get_instance_private (compositor);
   return priv->laters;
 }
+
+static void
+on_window_drag_ended (MetaWindowDrag *window_drag,
+                      MetaCompositor *compositor)
+{
+  MetaCompositorPrivate *priv =
+    meta_compositor_get_instance_private (compositor);
+
+  g_assert (priv->current_drag == window_drag);
+  g_clear_object (&priv->current_drag);
+}
+
+gboolean
+meta_compositor_drag_window (MetaCompositor *compositor,
+                             MetaWindow     *window,
+                             MetaGrabOp      grab_op,
+                             uint32_t        timestamp)
+{
+  MetaCompositorPrivate *priv =
+    meta_compositor_get_instance_private (compositor);
+  g_autoptr (MetaWindowDrag) window_drag = NULL;
+
+  if (priv->current_drag)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  window_drag = meta_window_drag_new (window, grab_op);
+
+  if (!meta_window_drag_begin (window_drag, timestamp))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  g_signal_connect (window_drag, "ended",
+                    G_CALLBACK (on_window_drag_ended), compositor);
+  priv->current_drag = g_steal_pointer (&window_drag);
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+MetaWindowDrag *
+meta_compositor_get_current_window_drag (MetaCompositor *compositor)
+{
+  MetaCompositorPrivate *priv =
+    meta_compositor_get_instance_private (compositor);
+
+  return priv->current_drag;
+}