diff --git a/include/wlr/xwayland.h b/include/wlr/xwayland.h
index cef17f38..351c6cd1 100644
--- a/include/wlr/xwayland.h
+++ b/include/wlr/xwayland.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct wlr_xwayland {
 	struct wl_client *client;
 	struct wl_display *wl_display;
 	struct wlr_compositor *compositor;
+	struct wlr_seat *seat;
 	time_t server_start;
 
 	struct wl_event_source *sigusr1_source;
diff --git a/rootston/input.c b/rootston/input.c
index 94524b5f..a3904a61 100644
--- a/rootston/input.c
+++ b/rootston/input.c
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ struct roots_input *input_create(struct roots_server *server,
 	input->server = server;
 
 	wl_list_init(&input->seats);
-	roots_seat_create(input, ROOTS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_SEAT_NAME);
 
 	input->input_add.notify = input_add_notify;
 	wl_signal_add(&server->backend->events.input_add, &input->input_add);
diff --git a/rootston/main.c b/rootston/main.c
index 38bbec53..144da2c5 100644
--- a/rootston/main.c
+++ b/rootston/main.c
@@ -13,19 +13,6 @@
 struct roots_server server = { 0 };
 
 static void ready(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct roots_desktop *desktop =
-		wl_container_of(listener, desktop, xwayland_ready);
-
-#ifdef HAS_XWAYLAND
-	struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland = data;
-	if (xwayland) {
-		struct roots_seat *seat =
-			input_get_seat(desktop->server->input,
-				ROOTS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_SEAT_NAME);
-		wlr_xwayland_set_seat(xwayland, seat->seat);
-	}
-#endif
-
 	if (server.config->startup_cmd != NULL) {
 		const char *cmd = server.config->startup_cmd;
 		pid_t pid = fork();
@@ -72,6 +59,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	ready(NULL, NULL);
 #else
 	if (server.desktop->xwayland != NULL) {
+		struct roots_seat *xwayland_seat =
+			input_get_seat(server.input, ROOTS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_SEAT_NAME);
+		wlr_xwayland_set_seat(server.desktop->xwayland, xwayland_seat->seat);
 		wl_signal_add(&server.desktop->xwayland->events.ready,
 			&server.desktop->xwayland_ready);
 		server.desktop->xwayland_ready.notify = ready;
diff --git a/xwayland/xwayland.c b/xwayland/xwayland.c
index bd43fefb..4db30985 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwayland.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwayland.c
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ static int xserver_handle_ready(int signal_number, void *data) {
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+	if (wlr_xwayland->seat) {
+		xwm_set_seat(wlr_xwayland->xwm, wlr_xwayland->seat);
+	}
+
 	wl_event_source_remove(wlr_xwayland->sigusr1_source);
 	wlr_xwayland->sigusr1_source = NULL;
 
@@ -344,5 +348,9 @@ void wlr_xwayland_set_cursor(struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland,
 
 void wlr_xwayland_set_seat(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland,
 		struct wlr_seat *seat) {
-	xwm_set_seat(xwayland->xwm, seat);
+	xwayland->seat = seat;
+
+	if (xwayland->xwm) {
+		xwm_set_seat(xwayland->xwm, seat);
+	}
 }