diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_idle.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_idle.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..689c33a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_idle.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#ifndef WLR_TYPES_WLR_IDLE_H
+#define WLR_TYPES_WLR_IDLE_H
+
+#include <wayland-server.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_seat.h>
+
+/**
+ * Idle protocol is used to create timers which will notify the client when the
+ * compositor does not receive any input for a given time(in milliseconds). Also
+ * the client will be notify when the timer receve an activity notify and already
+ * was in idle state. Besides this, the client is able to simulate user activity
+ * which will reset the timers and at any time can destroy the timer.
+ */
+
+
+struct wlr_idle {
+	struct wl_global *wl_global;
+	struct wl_list idle_timers; // wlr_idle_timeout::link
+	struct wl_event_loop *event_loop;
+
+	struct wl_listener display_destroy;
+	struct wl_signal activity_notify;
+
+	void *data;
+};
+
+struct wlr_idle_timeout {
+	struct wl_resource *resource;
+	struct wl_list link;
+	struct wlr_seat *seat;
+
+	struct wl_event_source *idle_source;
+	bool idle_state;
+	uint32_t timeout; // milliseconds
+
+	struct wl_listener input_listener;
+	struct wl_listener seat_destroy;
+
+	void *data;
+};
+
+struct wlr_idle *wlr_idle_create(struct wl_display *display);
+
+void wlr_idle_destroy(struct wlr_idle *idle);
+
+/**
+ * Send notification to restart all timers for the given seat. Called by
+ * compositor when there is an user activity event on that seat.
+ */
+void wlr_idle_notify_activity(struct wlr_idle *idle, struct wlr_seat *seat);
+#endif
diff --git a/protocol/idle.xml b/protocol/idle.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92d9989c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protocol/idle.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<protocol name="idle">
+  <copyright><![CDATA[
+    Copyright (C) 2015 Martin Gräßlin
+
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 2.1 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+  ]]></copyright>
+  <interface  name="org_kde_kwin_idle" version="1">
+      <description summary="User idle time manager">
+        This interface allows to monitor user idle time on a given seat. The interface
+        allows to register timers which trigger after no user activity was registered
+        on the seat for a given interval. It notifies when user activity resumes.
+
+        This is useful for applications wanting to perform actions when the user is not
+        interacting with the system, e.g. chat applications setting the user as away, power
+        management features to dim screen, etc..
+      </description>
+      <request name="get_idle_timeout">
+        <arg name="id" type="new_id" interface="org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout"/>
+        <arg name="seat" type="object" interface="wl_seat"/>
+        <arg name="timeout" type="uint" summary="The idle timeout in msec"/>
+      </request>
+  </interface>
+  <interface name="org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout" version="1">
+      <request name="release" type="destructor">
+        <description summary="release the timeout object"/>
+      </request>
+      <request name="simulate_user_activity">
+          <description summary="Simulates user activity for this timeout, behaves just like real user activity on the seat"/>
+      </request>
+      <event name="idle">
+          <description summary="Triggered when there has not been any user activity in the requested idle time interval"/>
+      </event>
+      <event name="resumed">
+          <description summary="Triggered on the first user activity after an idle event"/>
+      </event>
+  </interface>
+</protocol>
diff --git a/protocol/meson.build b/protocol/meson.build
index f6aca5f5..6e9f4125 100644
--- a/protocol/meson.build
+++ b/protocol/meson.build
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ protocols = [
 	'gtk-primary-selection.xml',
 	'screenshooter.xml',
 	'server-decoration.xml',
+	'idle.xml',
 ]
 
 client_protocols = [
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ client_protocols = [
 	'gtk-primary-selection.xml',
 	'screenshooter.xml',
 	'server-decoration.xml',
+	'idle.xml',
 ]
 
 wl_protos_src = []
diff --git a/types/meson.build b/types/meson.build
index 82031e89..62a2faec 100644
--- a/types/meson.build
+++ b/types/meson.build
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ lib_wlr_types = static_library(
 		'wlr_compositor.c',
 		'wlr_cursor.c',
 		'wlr_gamma_control.c',
+		'wlr_idle.c',
 		'wlr_input_device.c',
 		'wlr_keyboard.c',
 		'wlr_list.c',
diff --git a/types/wlr_idle.c b/types/wlr_idle.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2cad42b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/wlr_idle.c
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <wayland-server.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_idle.h>
+#include <wlr/util/log.h>
+#include "idle-protocol.h"
+
+static void idle_timeout_destroy(struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer) {
+	wl_list_remove(&timer->input_listener.link);
+	wl_list_remove(&timer->seat_destroy.link);
+	wl_event_source_remove(timer->idle_source);
+	wl_list_remove(&timer->link);
+	wl_resource_set_user_data(timer->resource, NULL);
+	free(timer);
+}
+
+static int idle_notify(void *data) {
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer = data;
+	timer->idle_state = true;
+	org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout_send_idle(timer->resource);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+static void handle_activity(struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer) {
+	// rearm the timer
+	wl_event_source_timer_update(timer->idle_source, timer->timeout);
+	// in case the previous state was sleeping send a resume event and switch state
+	if (timer->idle_state) {
+		timer->idle_state = false;
+		org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout_send_resumed(timer->resource);
+	}
+}
+
+static void handle_timer_resource_destroy(struct wl_resource *timer_resource) {
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer = wl_resource_get_user_data(timer_resource);
+	if (timer != NULL) {
+		idle_timeout_destroy(timer);
+	}
+}
+
+static void handle_seat_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer = wl_container_of(listener, timer, seat_destroy);
+	if (timer != NULL) {
+		idle_timeout_destroy(timer);
+	}
+}
+
+static void release_idle_timeout(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource){
+	handle_timer_resource_destroy(resource);
+}
+
+static void simulate_activity(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *resource){
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer = wl_resource_get_user_data(resource);
+	handle_activity(timer);
+}
+
+static struct org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout_interface idle_timeout_impl = {
+	.release = release_idle_timeout,
+	.simulate_user_activity = simulate_activity,
+};
+
+static void handle_input_notification(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer = wl_container_of(listener, timer, input_listener);
+	struct wlr_seat *seat = data;
+	if (timer->seat == seat) {
+		handle_activity(timer);
+	}
+}
+
+static void create_idle_timer(struct wl_client *client,
+		struct wl_resource *idle_resource,
+		uint32_t id,
+		struct wl_resource *seat_resource,
+		uint32_t timeout) {
+	struct wlr_idle *idle = wl_resource_get_user_data(idle_resource);
+	struct wlr_seat_client *client_seat =
+		wl_resource_get_user_data(seat_resource);
+
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer =
+		calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_idle_timeout));
+	if (!timer) {
+		wl_resource_post_no_memory(idle_resource);
+		return;
+	}
+	timer->seat = client_seat->seat;
+	timer->timeout = timeout;
+	timer->idle_state = false;
+	timer->resource = wl_resource_create(client,
+		&org_kde_kwin_idle_timeout_interface,
+		wl_resource_get_version(idle_resource), id);
+	if (timer->resource == NULL) {
+		free(timer);
+		wl_resource_post_no_memory(idle_resource);
+		return;
+	}
+	wl_resource_set_implementation(timer->resource, &idle_timeout_impl, timer,
+			handle_timer_resource_destroy);
+	wl_list_insert(&idle->idle_timers, &timer->link);
+
+	timer->seat_destroy.notify = handle_seat_destroy;
+	wl_signal_add(&timer->seat->events.destroy, &timer->seat_destroy);
+
+	timer->input_listener.notify = handle_input_notification;
+	wl_signal_add(&idle->activity_notify, &timer->input_listener);
+	// create the timer
+	timer->idle_source =
+		wl_event_loop_add_timer(idle->event_loop, idle_notify, timer);
+	if (timer->idle_source == NULL) {
+		wl_list_remove(&timer->link);
+		wl_list_remove(&timer->input_listener.link);
+		wl_list_remove(&timer->seat_destroy.link);
+		wl_resource_set_user_data(timer->resource, NULL);
+		free(timer);
+		wl_resource_post_no_memory(idle_resource);
+		return;
+	}
+	// arm the timer
+	wl_event_source_timer_update(timer->idle_source, timer->timeout);
+}
+
+static struct org_kde_kwin_idle_interface idle_impl = {
+	.get_idle_timeout = create_idle_timer,
+};
+
+static void idle_bind(struct wl_client *wl_client, void *data,
+		uint32_t version, uint32_t id) {
+	struct wlr_idle *idle = data;
+	assert(wl_client && idle);
+
+	struct wl_resource *wl_resource = wl_resource_create(wl_client,
+		&org_kde_kwin_idle_interface, version, id);
+	if (wl_resource == NULL) {
+		wl_client_post_no_memory(wl_client);
+		return;
+	}
+	wl_resource_set_implementation(wl_resource, &idle_impl, idle, NULL);
+}
+
+void wlr_idle_destroy(struct wlr_idle *idle) {
+	if (!idle) {
+		return;
+	}
+	wl_list_remove(&idle->display_destroy.link);
+	struct wlr_idle_timeout *timer, *tmp;
+	wl_list_for_each_safe(timer, tmp, &idle->idle_timers, link) {
+		idle_timeout_destroy(timer);
+	}
+	wl_global_destroy(idle->wl_global);
+	free(idle);
+}
+
+static void handle_display_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_idle *idle = wl_container_of(listener, idle, display_destroy);
+	wlr_idle_destroy(idle);
+}
+
+struct wlr_idle *wlr_idle_create(struct wl_display *display) {
+	struct wlr_idle *idle = calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_idle));
+	if (!idle) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	wl_list_init(&idle->idle_timers);
+	wl_signal_init(&idle->activity_notify);
+
+	idle->event_loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(display);
+	if (idle->event_loop == NULL) {
+		free(idle);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	idle->display_destroy.notify = handle_display_destroy;
+	wl_display_add_destroy_listener(display, &idle->display_destroy);
+
+	idle->wl_global = wl_global_create(display, &org_kde_kwin_idle_interface,
+				1, idle, idle_bind);
+	if (idle->wl_global == NULL){
+		wl_list_remove(&idle->display_destroy.link);
+		free(idle);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "idle manager created");
+	return idle;
+}
+
+void wlr_idle_notify_activity(struct wlr_idle *idle, struct wlr_seat *seat) {
+	wl_signal_emit(&idle->activity_notify, seat);
+}