diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.c
index 3c80124a9..a4e871204 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.c
@@ -62,16 +62,6 @@ _clutter_stage_window_set_title (ClutterStageWindow *window,
     iface->set_title (window, title);
 }
 
-void
-_clutter_stage_window_set_cursor_visible (ClutterStageWindow *window,
-                                          gboolean            is_visible)
-{
-  ClutterStageWindowInterface *iface = CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW_GET_IFACE (window);
-
-  if (iface->set_cursor_visible)
-    iface->set_cursor_visible (window, is_visible);
-}
-
 gboolean
 _clutter_stage_window_realize (ClutterStageWindow *window)
 {
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.h
index eb529416e..af866d00d 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage-window.h
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ struct _ClutterStageWindowInterface
 
   void              (* set_title)               (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window,
                                                  const gchar        *title);
-  void              (* set_cursor_visible)      (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window,
-                                                 gboolean            cursor_visible);
 
   gboolean          (* realize)                 (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window);
   void              (* unrealize)               (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window);
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
index 3767a3809..fb8d8c8db 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ struct _ClutterStagePrivate
   int update_freeze_count;
 
   guint redraw_pending         : 1;
-  guint is_cursor_visible      : 1;
   guint throttle_motion_events : 1;
   guint min_size_changed       : 1;
   guint accept_focus           : 1;
@@ -160,7 +159,6 @@ enum
   PROP_0,
 
   PROP_COLOR,
-  PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE,
   PROP_PERSPECTIVE,
   PROP_TITLE,
   PROP_KEY_FOCUS,
@@ -1850,13 +1848,6 @@ clutter_stage_set_property (GObject      *object,
                                           clutter_value_get_color (value));
       break;
 
-    case PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE:
-      if (g_value_get_boolean (value))
-        clutter_stage_show_cursor (stage);
-      else
-        clutter_stage_hide_cursor (stage);
-      break;
-
     case PROP_PERSPECTIVE:
       clutter_stage_set_perspective (stage, g_value_get_boxed (value));
       break;
@@ -1899,10 +1890,6 @@ clutter_stage_get_property (GObject    *gobject,
       }
       break;
 
-    case PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE:
-      g_value_set_boolean (value, priv->is_cursor_visible);
-      break;
-
     case PROP_PERSPECTIVE:
       g_value_set_boxed (value, &priv->perspective);
       break;
@@ -2026,18 +2013,6 @@ clutter_stage_class_init (ClutterStageClass *klass)
 
   klass->paint_view = clutter_stage_real_paint_view;
 
-  /**
-   * ClutterStage:cursor-visible:
-   *
-   * Whether the mouse pointer should be visible
-   */
-  obj_props[PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE] =
-      g_param_spec_boolean ("cursor-visible",
-                            P_("Cursor Visible"),
-                            P_("Whether the mouse pointer is visible on the main stage"),
-                            TRUE,
-                            CLUTTER_PARAM_READWRITE);
-
   /**
    * ClutterStage:color:
    *
@@ -2288,7 +2263,6 @@ clutter_stage_init (ClutterStage *self)
 
   priv->event_queue = g_queue_new ();
 
-  priv->is_cursor_visible = TRUE;
   priv->throttle_motion_events = TRUE;
   priv->min_size_changed = FALSE;
   priv->sync_delay = -1;
@@ -2657,72 +2631,6 @@ _clutter_stage_get_viewport (ClutterStage *stage,
   *height = priv->viewport[3];
 }
 
-/**
- * clutter_stage_show_cursor:
- * @stage: a #ClutterStage
- *
- * Shows the cursor on the stage window
- */
-void
-clutter_stage_show_cursor (ClutterStage *stage)
-{
-  ClutterStagePrivate *priv;
-
-  g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_STAGE (stage));
-
-  priv = stage->priv;
-  if (!priv->is_cursor_visible)
-    {
-      ClutterStageWindow *impl = CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW (priv->impl);
-      ClutterStageWindowInterface *iface;
-
-      iface = CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW_GET_IFACE (impl);
-      if (iface->set_cursor_visible)
-        {
-          priv->is_cursor_visible = TRUE;
-
-          iface->set_cursor_visible (impl, TRUE);
-
-          g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (stage),
-                                    obj_props[PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE]);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-/**
- * clutter_stage_hide_cursor:
- * @stage: a #ClutterStage
- *
- * Makes the cursor invisible on the stage window
- *
- * Since: 0.4
- */
-void
-clutter_stage_hide_cursor (ClutterStage *stage)
-{
-  ClutterStagePrivate *priv;
-
-  g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_STAGE (stage));
-
-  priv = stage->priv;
-  if (priv->is_cursor_visible)
-    {
-      ClutterStageWindow *impl = CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW (priv->impl);
-      ClutterStageWindowInterface *iface;
-
-      iface = CLUTTER_STAGE_WINDOW_GET_IFACE (impl);
-      if (iface->set_cursor_visible)
-        {
-          priv->is_cursor_visible = FALSE;
-
-          iface->set_cursor_visible (impl, FALSE);
-
-          g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (stage),
-                                    obj_props[PROP_CURSOR_VISIBLE]);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * clutter_stage_read_pixels:
  * @stage: A #ClutterStage
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.h
index 19de749b9..45a077686 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.h
@@ -147,10 +147,6 @@ CLUTTER_EXPORT
 void            clutter_stage_get_perspective                   (ClutterStage          *stage,
 			                                         ClutterPerspective    *perspective);
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
-void            clutter_stage_show_cursor                       (ClutterStage          *stage);
-CLUTTER_EXPORT
-void            clutter_stage_hide_cursor                       (ClutterStage          *stage);
-CLUTTER_EXPORT
 void            clutter_stage_set_title                         (ClutterStage          *stage,
                                                                  const gchar           *title);
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-stage.c b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
index 4df6a4261..01b1240ec 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-stage.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-stage.c
@@ -291,9 +291,7 @@ meta_stage_new (MetaBackend *backend)
   MetaStage *stage;
   MetaMonitorManager *monitor_manager;
 
-  stage = g_object_new (META_TYPE_STAGE,
-                        "cursor-visible", FALSE,
-                        NULL);
+  stage = g_object_new (META_TYPE_STAGE, NULL);
 
   monitor_manager = meta_backend_get_monitor_manager (backend);
   g_signal_connect (monitor_manager, "power-save-mode-changed",
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
index bf8d0d955..269fafa51 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.c
@@ -234,39 +234,6 @@ set_wm_title (MetaStageX11 *stage_x11)
     }
 }
 
-static inline void
-set_cursor_visible (MetaStageX11 *stage_x11)
-{
-  Display *xdisplay = clutter_x11_get_default_display ();
-
-  if (stage_x11->xwin == None)
-    return;
-
-  g_debug ("setting cursor state ('%s') over stage window (%u)",
-           stage_x11->is_cursor_visible ? "visible" : "invisible",
-           (unsigned int) stage_x11->xwin);
-
-  if (stage_x11->is_cursor_visible)
-    {
-      XUndefineCursor (xdisplay, stage_x11->xwin);
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      XColor col;
-      Pixmap pix;
-      Cursor curs;
-
-      pix = XCreatePixmap (xdisplay, stage_x11->xwin, 1, 1, 1);
-      memset (&col, 0, sizeof (col));
-      curs = XCreatePixmapCursor (xdisplay,
-                                  pix, pix,
-                                  &col, &col,
-                                  1, 1);
-      XFreePixmap (xdisplay, pix);
-      XDefineCursor (xdisplay, stage_x11->xwin, curs);
-    }
-}
-
 static void
 meta_stage_x11_unrealize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
 {
@@ -362,7 +329,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_realize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
 
   set_wm_pid (stage_x11);
   set_wm_title (stage_x11);
-  set_cursor_visible (stage_x11);
 
   /* we unconditionally select input events even with event retrieval
    * disabled because we need to guarantee that the Clutter internal
@@ -393,16 +359,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_realize (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static void
-meta_stage_x11_set_cursor_visible (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window,
-                                   gboolean            cursor_visible)
-{
-  MetaStageX11 *stage_x11 = META_STAGE_X11 (stage_window);
-
-  stage_x11->is_cursor_visible = !!cursor_visible;
-  set_cursor_visible (stage_x11);
-}
-
 static void
 meta_stage_x11_set_title (ClutterStageWindow *stage_window,
                           const char         *title)
@@ -587,7 +543,6 @@ meta_stage_x11_init (MetaStageX11 *stage)
 
   stage->wm_state = STAGE_X11_WITHDRAWN;
 
-  stage->is_cursor_visible = TRUE;
   stage->accept_focus = TRUE;
 
   stage->title = NULL;
@@ -599,7 +554,6 @@ clutter_stage_window_iface_init (ClutterStageWindowInterface *iface)
   clutter_stage_window_parent_iface = g_type_interface_peek_parent (iface);
 
   iface->set_title = meta_stage_x11_set_title;
-  iface->set_cursor_visible = meta_stage_x11_set_cursor_visible;
   iface->set_accept_focus = meta_stage_x11_set_accept_focus;
   iface->show = meta_stage_x11_show;
   iface->hide = meta_stage_x11_hide;
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
index 0ec429e53..b466882e0 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ struct _MetaStageX11
 
   MetaStageX11State wm_state;
 
-  guint is_cursor_visible     : 1;
   guint viewport_initialized  : 1;
   guint accept_focus          : 1;
 };
diff --git a/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-devices.c b/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-devices.c
index 072c2e730..9b2d0e8d5 100644
--- a/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-devices.c
+++ b/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-devices.c
@@ -227,7 +227,6 @@ test_devices_main (int argc, char **argv)
   stage = clutter_stage_new ();
   clutter_actor_set_background_color (stage, CLUTTER_COLOR_LightSkyBlue);
   clutter_stage_set_title (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage), "Devices");
-  clutter_stage_hide_cursor (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage));
   g_signal_connect (stage,
                     "destroy", G_CALLBACK (clutter_main_quit),
                     NULL);