diff --git a/backend/wayland/pointer.c b/backend/wayland/pointer.c
index 4ce233e52..5762d1ec3 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/pointer.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/pointer.c
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ void create_pointer(struct wlr_wl_seat *seat, struct wlr_wl_output *output) {
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "wayland-pointer-%s", seat->name);
 	wlr_pointer_init(&pointer->wlr_pointer, &wl_pointer_impl, name);
 
-	pointer->wlr_pointer.output_name = strdup(output->wlr_output.name);
+	pointer->wlr_pointer.output = &output->wlr_output;
 
 	pointer->seat = seat;
 	pointer->output = output;
diff --git a/backend/x11/output.c b/backend/x11/output.c
index 517ea85be..9fe94abdd 100644
--- a/backend/x11/output.c
+++ b/backend/x11/output.c
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ struct wlr_output *wlr_x11_output_create(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	wlr_output_update_enabled(wlr_output, true);
 
 	wlr_pointer_init(&output->pointer, &x11_pointer_impl, "x11-pointer");
-	output->pointer.output_name = strdup(wlr_output->name);
+	output->pointer.output = wlr_output;
 
 	wlr_touch_init(&output->touch, &x11_touch_impl, "x11-touch");
 	output->touch.output_name = strdup(wlr_output->name);
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_pointer.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_pointer.h
index 16aed1dc7..144f49220 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_pointer.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_pointer.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ struct wlr_pointer {
 
 	const struct wlr_pointer_impl *impl;
 
-	char *output_name;
+	struct wlr_output *output;
 
 	struct {
 		struct wl_signal motion; // struct wlr_pointer_motion_event
diff --git a/types/wlr_pointer.c b/types/wlr_pointer.c
index be505b6c4..50bb47fec 100644
--- a/types/wlr_pointer.c
+++ b/types/wlr_pointer.c
@@ -36,6 +36,4 @@ void wlr_pointer_init(struct wlr_pointer *pointer,
 
 void wlr_pointer_finish(struct wlr_pointer *pointer) {
 	wlr_input_device_finish(&pointer->base);
-
-	free(pointer->output_name);
 }