diff --git a/include/xwayland/xwm.h b/include/xwayland/xwm.h
index e460bbb63..73f440d29 100644
--- a/include/xwayland/xwm.h
+++ b/include/xwayland/xwm.h
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ struct wlr_xwm {
 	struct wl_listener drop_focus_destroy;
 };
 
+// xwm_create takes ownership of wm_fd and will close it under all circumstances.
 struct wlr_xwm *xwm_create(struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland, int wm_fd);
 
 void xwm_destroy(struct wlr_xwm *xwm);
diff --git a/xwayland/xwayland.c b/xwayland/xwayland.c
index 5d51df074..3aa47bac2 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwayland.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwayland.c
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ static void handle_server_start(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 static void xwayland_mark_ready(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland) {
 	assert(xwayland->server->wm_fd[0] >= 0);
 	xwayland->xwm = xwm_create(xwayland, xwayland->server->wm_fd[0]);
+	// xwm_create takes ownership of wm_fd[0] under all circumstances
+	xwayland->server->wm_fd[0] = -1;
+
 	if (!xwayland->xwm) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/xwayland/xwm.c b/xwayland/xwm.c
index a82e8b145..2bb4e4c64 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwm.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwm.c
@@ -2530,6 +2530,7 @@ void xwm_set_cursor(struct wlr_xwm *xwm, const uint8_t *pixels, uint32_t stride,
 struct wlr_xwm *xwm_create(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland, int wm_fd) {
 	struct wlr_xwm *xwm = calloc(1, sizeof(*xwm));
 	if (xwm == NULL) {
+		close(wm_fd);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -2544,11 +2545,13 @@ struct wlr_xwm *xwm_create(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland, int wm_fd) {
 
 	xwm->ping_timeout = 10000;
 
+	// xcb_connect_to_fd takes ownership of the FD regardless of success/failure
 	xwm->xcb_conn = xcb_connect_to_fd(wm_fd, NULL);
 
 	int rc = xcb_connection_has_error(xwm->xcb_conn);
 	if (rc) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "xcb connect failed: %d", rc);
+		xcb_disconnect(xwm->xcb_conn);
 		free(xwm);
 		return NULL;
 	}