diff --git a/include/wlr/xwayland.h b/include/wlr/xwayland.h
index cf2ef2636..e8fc59bb5 100644
--- a/include/wlr/xwayland.h
+++ b/include/wlr/xwayland.h
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 #include <wlr/xwayland/server.h>
 #include <wlr/xwayland/xwayland.h>
+#include <wlr/xwayland/shell.h>
diff --git a/include/wlr/xwayland/shell.h b/include/wlr/xwayland/shell.h
index 6cd3d93e6..eb4828f5d 100644
--- a/include/wlr/xwayland/shell.h
+++ b/include/wlr/xwayland/shell.h
@@ -26,11 +26,10 @@ struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 {
 
 	// private state
 
-	struct wl_client *client;
+	struct wl_list clients; // wlr_xwayland_shell_client.link
 	struct wl_list surfaces; // wlr_xwayland_surface_v1.link
 
 	struct wl_listener display_destroy;
-	struct wl_listener client_destroy;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -65,9 +64,22 @@ void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_destroy(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell);
 /**
  * Allow a client to bind to the xwayland_shell_v1 global.
  */
-void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_set_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_add_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
 	struct wl_client *client);
 
+/**
+ * Cancel allow a client to bind to the xwayland_shell_v1 global.
+ */
+void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_remove_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+	struct wl_client *client);
+
+/**
+ * Return true if allow this client bind to the xwayland_shell_v1 global,
+ * Return false otherwise.
+ */
+bool wlr_xwayland_shell_has_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+	const struct wl_client *client);
+
 /**
  * Get a Wayland surface from an xwayland_shell_v1 serial.
  *
diff --git a/include/wlr/xwayland/xwayland.h b/include/wlr/xwayland/xwayland.h
index 6761eff08..f9eeb9d7d 100644
--- a/include/wlr/xwayland/xwayland.h
+++ b/include/wlr/xwayland/xwayland.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 struct wlr_xwm;
 struct wlr_data_source;
 struct wlr_drag;
+struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1;
 
 struct wlr_xwayland {
 	struct wlr_xwayland_server *server;
@@ -197,7 +198,8 @@ struct wlr_xwayland_minimize_event {
  * client tries to connect.
  */
 struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland_create(struct wl_display *wl_display,
-	struct wlr_compositor *compositor, bool lazy);
+	struct wlr_compositor *compositor, struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+	bool lazy);
 
 void wlr_xwayland_destroy(struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland);
 
diff --git a/tinywl/tinywl.c b/tinywl/tinywl.c
index 67d2be773..78ba6d33e 100644
--- a/tinywl/tinywl.c
+++ b/tinywl/tinywl.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_subcompositor.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_xcursor_manager.h>
 #include <wlr/types/wlr_xdg_shell.h>
+#include <wlr/xwayland.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
 
diff --git a/xwayland/shell.c b/xwayland/shell.c
index 9c5a9d20c..0a88b3023 100644
--- a/xwayland/shell.c
+++ b/xwayland/shell.c
@@ -7,6 +7,55 @@
 
 #define SHELL_VERSION 1
 
+struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client {
+	struct wl_client *client;
+	struct wl_listener client_destroy;
+	struct wl_list link;
+};
+
+static void xwl_shell_client_destroy(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client) {
+	wl_list_remove(&xwl_client->link);
+	wl_list_remove(&xwl_client->client_destroy.link);
+	free(xwl_client);
+}
+
+static void shell_client_handle_client_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
+	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *shell_client =
+		wl_container_of(listener, shell_client, client_destroy);
+	xwl_shell_client_destroy(shell_client);
+}
+
+static struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_shell_client_create(struct wl_client *client) {
+	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client = calloc(1, sizeof(*xwl_client));
+	if (xwl_client == NULL) {
+		wl_client_post_no_memory(client);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	xwl_client->client = client;
+
+	wl_list_init(&xwl_client->link);
+	wl_list_init(&xwl_client->client_destroy.link);
+
+	xwl_client->client_destroy.notify = shell_client_handle_client_destroy;
+	wl_client_add_destroy_listener(client, &xwl_client->client_destroy);
+
+	return xwl_client;
+}
+
+static struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *get_shell_client(
+		struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+		const struct wl_client *client) {
+	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client, *tmp;
+	wl_list_for_each_safe(xwl_client, tmp, &shell->clients, link) {
+		if (xwl_client->client == client) {
+			return xwl_client;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static void destroy_resource(struct wl_client *client,
 		struct wl_resource *resource) {
 	wl_resource_destroy(resource);
@@ -140,7 +189,7 @@ static void shell_bind(struct wl_client *client, void *data, uint32_t version,
 		uint32_t id) {
 	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell = data;
 
-	if (client != shell->client) {
+	if (!get_shell_client(shell, client)) {
 		wl_client_post_implementation_error(client,
 			"Permission denied to bind to %s", xwayland_shell_v1_interface.name);
 		return;
@@ -183,7 +232,7 @@ struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_create(
 	shell->display_destroy.notify = handle_display_destroy;
 	wl_display_add_destroy_listener(display, &shell->display_destroy);
 
-	wl_list_init(&shell->client_destroy.link);
+	wl_list_init(&shell->clients);
 
 	return shell;
 }
@@ -198,30 +247,44 @@ void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_destroy(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell) {
 		xwl_surface_destroy(xwl_surface);
 	}
 
+	{
+		struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client, *tmp;
+		wl_list_for_each_safe(xwl_client, tmp, &shell->clients, link) {
+			xwl_shell_client_destroy(xwl_client);
+		}
+	}
+
 	wl_list_remove(&shell->display_destroy.link);
-	wl_list_remove(&shell->client_destroy.link);
 	wl_global_destroy(shell->global);
 	free(shell);
 }
 
-static void shell_handle_client_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
-	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell =
-		wl_container_of(listener, shell, client_destroy);
-	wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_set_client(shell, NULL);
+void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_add_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+		struct wl_client *client) {
+	if (get_shell_client(shell, client))
+		return; // already added
+
+	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client = xwl_shell_client_create(client);
+	if (!xwl_client) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	wl_list_insert(&shell->clients, &xwl_client->link);
 }
 
-void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_set_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+void wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_remove_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
 		struct wl_client *client) {
-	wl_list_remove(&shell->client_destroy.link);
-	shell->client = client;
-	if (client != NULL) {
-		shell->client_destroy.notify = shell_handle_client_destroy;
-		wl_client_add_destroy_listener(client, &shell->client_destroy);
-	} else {
-		wl_list_init(&shell->client_destroy.link);
+	struct wlr_xwayland_shell_client *xwl_client = get_shell_client(shell, client);
+	if (xwl_client) {
+		xwl_shell_client_destroy(xwl_client);
 	}
 }
 
+bool wlr_xwayland_shell_has_client(struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+		const struct wl_client *client) {
+	return get_shell_client(shell, client);
+}
+
 struct wlr_surface *wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_surface_from_serial(
 		struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell, uint64_t serial) {
 	struct wlr_xwayland_surface_v1 *xwl_surface;
diff --git a/xwayland/xwayland.c b/xwayland/xwayland.c
index 7f3a6eae1..1ad4151bc 100644
--- a/xwayland/xwayland.c
+++ b/xwayland/xwayland.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static void handle_server_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 static void handle_server_start(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland =
 		wl_container_of(listener, xwayland, server_start);
-	wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_set_client(xwayland->shell_v1, xwayland->server->client);
+	wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_add_client(xwayland->shell_v1, xwayland->server->client);
 }
 
 static void handle_server_ready(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ void wlr_xwayland_destroy(struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland) {
 	wlr_xwayland_set_seat(xwayland, NULL);
 	wlr_xwayland_server_destroy(xwayland->server);
 	xwayland->server = NULL;
-	wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_destroy(xwayland->shell_v1);
 	free(xwayland);
 }
 
 struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland_create(struct wl_display *wl_display,
-		struct wlr_compositor *compositor, bool lazy) {
+		struct wlr_compositor *compositor, struct wlr_xwayland_shell_v1 *shell,
+		bool lazy) {
 	struct wlr_xwayland *xwayland = calloc(1, sizeof(struct wlr_xwayland));
 	if (!xwayland) {
 		return NULL;
@@ -94,11 +94,7 @@ struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland_create(struct wl_display *wl_display,
 	wl_signal_init(&xwayland->events.ready);
 	wl_signal_init(&xwayland->events.remove_startup_info);
 
-	xwayland->shell_v1 = wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_create(wl_display, 1);
-	if (xwayland->shell_v1 == NULL) {
-		free(xwayland);
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	xwayland->shell_v1 = shell;
 
 	struct wlr_xwayland_server_options options = {
 		.lazy = lazy,
@@ -109,7 +105,6 @@ struct wlr_xwayland *wlr_xwayland_create(struct wl_display *wl_display,
 	};
 	xwayland->server = wlr_xwayland_server_create(wl_display, &options);
 	if (xwayland->server == NULL) {
-		wlr_xwayland_shell_v1_destroy(xwayland->shell_v1);
 		free(xwayland);
 		return NULL;
 	}