diff --git a/xwayland/xwm.c b/xwayland/xwm.c
index 5d349253..bd485eb1 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwm.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwm.c
@@ -620,8 +620,8 @@ static int x11_event_handler(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
 
 static void create_surface_handler(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct wlr_surface *surface = data;
-	struct wlr_xwm *xwm = wl_container_of(listener, xwm,
-		surface_create_listener);
+	struct wlr_xwm *xwm =
+		wl_container_of(listener, xwm, surface_create_listener);
 	if (wl_resource_get_client(surface->resource) != xwm->xwayland->client) {
 		return;
 	}
@@ -639,28 +639,55 @@ static void create_surface_handler(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	}
 }
 
+static void xwm_set_net_active_window(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
+		xcb_window_t window) {
+	xcb_change_property(xwm->xcb_conn, XCB_PROP_MODE_REPLACE,
+			xwm->screen->root, xwm->atoms[_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW],
+			xwm->atoms[WINDOW], 32, 1, &window);
+}
+
+static void xwm_send_focus_window(struct wlr_xwm *xwm,
+		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface) {
+	if (surface) {
+		xcb_client_message_event_t client_message;
+		client_message.response_type = XCB_CLIENT_MESSAGE;
+		client_message.format = 32;
+		client_message.window = surface->window_id;
+		client_message.type = xwm->atoms[WM_PROTOCOLS];
+		client_message.data.data32[0] = xwm->atoms[WM_TAKE_FOCUS];
+		client_message.data.data32[1] = XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME;
+
+		xcb_send_event(xwm->xcb_conn, 0, surface->window_id,
+			XCB_EVENT_MASK_SUBSTRUCTURE_REDIRECT, (char*)&client_message);
+
+		xcb_set_input_focus(xwm->xcb_conn, XCB_INPUT_FOCUS_POINTER_ROOT,
+			surface->window_id, XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
+
+		uint32_t values[1];
+		values[0] = XCB_STACK_MODE_ABOVE;
+		xcb_configure_window_checked(xwm->xcb_conn, surface->window_id,
+			XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_STACK_MODE, values);
+	} else {
+		xcb_set_input_focus_checked(xwm->xcb_conn,
+			XCB_INPUT_FOCUS_POINTER_ROOT,
+			XCB_NONE, XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
+	}
+}
+
 void wlr_xwayland_surface_activate(struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland,
 		struct wlr_xwayland_surface *surface) {
 	struct wlr_xwm *xwm = wlr_xwayland->xwm;
+
 	if (surface) {
-		xcb_client_message_event_t m = {0};
-		m.response_type = XCB_CLIENT_MESSAGE;
-		m.format = 32;
-		m.window = surface->window_id;
-		m.type = xwm->atoms[WM_PROTOCOLS];
-		m.data.data32[0] = xwm->atoms[WM_TAKE_FOCUS];
-		m.data.data32[1] = XCB_TIME_CURRENT_TIME;
-		xcb_send_event_checked(xwm->xcb_conn, 0, surface->window_id,
-			XCB_EVENT_MASK_SUBSTRUCTURE_REDIRECT, (char*)&m);
-		xcb_set_input_focus_checked(xwm->xcb_conn, XCB_INPUT_FOCUS_POINTER_ROOT,
-			surface->window_id, XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
-		xcb_configure_window_checked(xwm->xcb_conn, surface->window_id,
-			XCB_CONFIG_WINDOW_STACK_MODE, (uint32_t[]){XCB_STACK_MODE_ABOVE});
+		xwm_set_net_active_window(xwm, surface->window_id);
 	} else {
-		wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "Deactivating xwayland");
-		xcb_set_input_focus_checked(xwm->xcb_conn, XCB_INPUT_FOCUS_NONE,
-			-1, XCB_CURRENT_TIME);
+		xwm_set_net_active_window(xwm, XCB_WINDOW_NONE);
 	}
+
+	xwm_send_focus_window(xwm, surface);
+
+	xwm->focus_surface = surface;
+
 	xcb_flush(xwm->xcb_conn);
 }
 
diff --git a/xwayland/xwm.h b/xwayland/xwm.h
index bc43134e..d8857eb8 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwm.h
+++ b/xwayland/xwm.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ enum atom_name {
 	NET_WM_STATE,
 	NET_WM_WINDOW_TYPE,
 	WM_TAKE_FOCUS,
+	WINDOW,
+	_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW,
 	ATOM_LAST,
 };
 
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ struct wlr_xwm {
 	xcb_screen_t *screen;
 	xcb_window_t window;
 
+	struct wlr_xwayland_surface *focus_surface;
+
 	struct wl_list new_surfaces;
 	struct wl_list unpaired_surfaces;