diff --git a/anvil/Cargo.toml b/anvil/Cargo.toml
index 4aa7026..99544d5 100644
--- a/anvil/Cargo.toml
+++ b/anvil/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ path = ".."
 default-features = false
 features = [ "renderer_glium", "backend_egl", "wayland_frontend" ]
 
+[dependencies.x11rb]
+optional = true
+version = "0.7"
+default-features = false
+features = [ "composite" ]
+
 [build-dependencies]
 gl_generator = "0.14"
 
@@ -31,5 +37,5 @@ winit = [ "smithay/backend_winit" ]
 udev = [ "smithay/backend_libinput", "smithay/backend_udev", "smithay/backend_drm_atomic", "smithay/backend_drm_legacy", "smithay/backend_drm_gbm", "smithay/backend_drm_eglstream", "smithay/backend_drm_egl", "smithay/backend_session", "input" ]
 logind = [ "smithay/backend_session_logind" ]
 elogind = ["logind", "smithay/backend_session_elogind" ]
-xwayland = [ "smithay/xwayland" ]
+xwayland = [ "smithay/xwayland", "x11rb" ]
 test_all_features = ["default"]
diff --git a/anvil/src/xwayland.rs b/anvil/src/xwayland.rs
index dffd8b0..81ccb3e 100644
--- a/anvil/src/xwayland.rs
+++ b/anvil/src/xwayland.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,19 @@ use smithay:: {
     xwayland::XWindowManager,
 };
 
+use x11rb::{
+    connection::Connection as _,
+    protocol::{
+        composite::{ConnectionExt as _, Redirect},
+        xproto::{
+            ChangeWindowAttributesAux, ConnectionExt as _, EventMask, WindowClass,
+        },
+    },
+    rust_connection::{DefaultStream, RustConnection},
+};
+
+/// Implementation of [`smithay::xwayland::XWindowManager`] that is used for starting XWayland.
+/// After XWayland was started, the actual state is kept in `X11State`.
 pub struct XWm;
 
 impl XWm {
@@ -14,8 +27,62 @@ impl XWm {
 }
 
 impl XWindowManager for XWm {
-    fn xwayland_ready(&mut self, _connection: UnixStream, _client: Client) {
+    fn xwayland_ready(&mut self, connection: UnixStream, _client: Client) {
+        let _wm = X11State::start_wm(connection);
     }
 
     fn xwayland_exited(&mut self) {}
 }
+
+x11rb::atom_manager! {
+    Atoms: AtomsCookie {
+        WM_S0,
+    }
+}
+
+/// The actual runtime state of the XWayland integration.
+struct X11State {
+}
+
+impl X11State {
+    fn start_wm(connection: UnixStream) -> Result<Self, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+        // Create an X11 connection. XWayland only uses screen 0.
+        let screen = 0;
+        let stream = DefaultStream::from_unix_stream(connection)?;
+        let conn = RustConnection::connect_to_stream(stream, screen)?;
+        let atoms = Atoms::new(&conn)?.reply()?;
+
+        let screen = &conn.setup().roots[0];
+
+        // Actually become the WM by redirecting some operations
+        conn.change_window_attributes(
+            screen.root,
+            &ChangeWindowAttributesAux::default().event_mask(EventMask::SubstructureRedirect),
+        )?;
+
+        // Tell XWayland that we are the WM by acquiring the WM_S0 selection. No X11 clients are accepted before this.
+        let win = conn.generate_id()?;
+        conn.create_window(
+            screen.root_depth,
+            win,
+            screen.root,
+            // x, y, width, height, border width
+            0,
+            0,
+            1,
+            1,
+            0,
+            WindowClass::InputOutput,
+            x11rb::COPY_FROM_PARENT,
+            &Default::default(),
+        )?;
+        conn.set_selection_owner(win, atoms.WM_S0, x11rb::CURRENT_TIME)?;
+
+        // XWayland wants us to do this to function properly...?
+        conn.composite_redirect_subwindows(screen.root, Redirect::Manual)?;
+
+        conn.flush()?;
+
+        Ok(X11State {})
+    }
+}