diff --git a/src/compositor.c b/src/compositor.c
index 265bd58d..a965fc22 100644
--- a/src/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor.c
@@ -2471,7 +2471,7 @@ weston_seat_init(struct weston_seat *seat, struct weston_compositor *ec)
 		      &seat->new_drag_icon_listener);
 
 	clipboard_create(seat);
-	input_method_create(ec, seat);
+	wl_signal_emit(&ec->seat_created_signal, seat);
 }
 
 WL_EXPORT void
@@ -2864,6 +2864,7 @@ weston_compositor_init(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	wl_signal_init(&ec->unlock_signal);
 	wl_signal_init(&ec->show_input_panel_signal);
 	wl_signal_init(&ec->hide_input_panel_signal);
+	wl_signal_init(&ec->seat_created_signal);
 	ec->launcher_sock = weston_environment_get_fd("WESTON_LAUNCHER_SOCK");
 
 	ec->output_id_pool = 0;
@@ -2890,7 +2891,7 @@ weston_compositor_init(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 
 	screenshooter_create(ec);
 	text_cursor_position_notifier_create(ec);
-	text_model_factory_create(ec);
+	text_backend_init(ec);
 
 	wl_data_device_manager_init(ec->wl_display);
 
diff --git a/src/compositor.h b/src/compositor.h
index 9e6355d7..48633d47 100644
--- a/src/compositor.h
+++ b/src/compositor.h
@@ -289,6 +289,8 @@ struct weston_compositor {
 	struct wl_signal show_input_panel_signal;
 	struct wl_signal hide_input_panel_signal;
 
+	struct wl_signal seat_created_signal;
+
 	struct wl_event_loop *input_loop;
 	struct wl_event_source *input_loop_source;
 
@@ -757,12 +759,8 @@ clipboard_create(struct weston_seat *seat);
 void
 text_cursor_position_notifier_create(struct weston_compositor *ec);
 
-void
-text_model_factory_create(struct weston_compositor *ec);
-
-void
-input_method_create(struct weston_compositor *ec,
-		    struct weston_seat *seat);
+int
+text_backend_init(struct weston_compositor *ec);
 
 struct weston_process;
 typedef void (*weston_process_cleanup_func_t)(struct weston_process *process,
diff --git a/src/text-backend.c b/src/text-backend.c
index c480e4e7..ae1f16ce 100644
--- a/src/text-backend.c
+++ b/src/text-backend.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "compositor.h"
 #include "text-server-protocol.h"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 
 struct input_method;
 struct input_method_context;
+struct text_backend;
 
 struct text_model {
 	struct wl_resource resource;
@@ -62,6 +64,8 @@ struct input_method {
 	int focus_listener_initialized;
 
 	struct input_method_context *context;
+
+	struct text_backend *text_backend;
 };
 
 struct input_method_context {
@@ -72,6 +76,20 @@ struct input_method_context {
 	struct wl_list link;
 };
 
+struct text_backend {
+	struct weston_compositor *compositor;
+
+	struct {
+		char *path;
+		struct wl_resource *binding;
+		struct weston_process process;
+		struct wl_client *client;
+	} input_method;
+
+	struct wl_listener seat_created_listener;
+	struct wl_listener destroy_listener;
+};
+
 static void input_method_context_create(struct text_model *model,
 					struct input_method *input_method);
 
@@ -84,7 +102,7 @@ deactivate_text_model(struct text_model *text_model,
 	struct weston_compositor *ec = text_model->ec;
 
 	if (input_method->model == text_model) {
-		if (input_method->input_method_binding)
+		if (input_method->context && input_method->input_method_binding)
 			input_method_send_deactivate(input_method->input_method_binding, &input_method->context->resource);
 		wl_list_remove(&input_method->link);
 		input_method->model = NULL;
@@ -273,7 +291,7 @@ text_model_factory_notifier_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 	free(text_model_factory);
 }
 
-WL_EXPORT void
+static void
 text_model_factory_create(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 {
 	struct text_model_factory *text_model_factory;
@@ -391,10 +409,13 @@ static void
 unbind_input_method(struct wl_resource *resource)
 {
 	struct input_method *input_method = resource->data;
+	struct text_backend *text_backend = input_method->text_backend;
 
 	input_method->input_method_binding = NULL;
 	input_method->context = NULL;
 
+	text_backend->input_method.binding = NULL;
+
 	free(resource);
 }
 
@@ -405,6 +426,7 @@ bind_input_method(struct wl_client *client,
 		  uint32_t id)
 {
 	struct input_method *input_method = data;
+	struct text_backend *text_backend = input_method->text_backend;
 	struct wl_resource *resource;
 
 	resource = wl_client_add_object(client, &input_method_interface,
@@ -414,6 +436,8 @@ bind_input_method(struct wl_client *client,
 	if (input_method->input_method_binding == NULL) {
 		resource->destroy = unbind_input_method;
 		input_method->input_method_binding = resource;
+
+		text_backend->input_method.binding = resource;
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -467,11 +491,47 @@ input_method_init_seat(struct weston_seat *seat)
 	seat->input_method->focus_listener_initialized = 1;
 }
 
-WL_EXPORT void
-input_method_create(struct weston_compositor *ec,
-		    struct weston_seat *seat)
+static void
+handle_input_method_sigchld(struct weston_process *process, int status)
+{
+	struct text_backend *text_backend =
+		container_of(process, struct text_backend, input_method.process);
+
+	text_backend->input_method.process.pid = 0;
+	text_backend->input_method.client = NULL;
+}
+
+static void
+launch_input_method(struct text_backend *text_backend)
+{
+	if (text_backend->input_method.binding)
+		return;
+
+	if (!text_backend->input_method.path)
+		return;
+
+	if (text_backend->input_method.process.pid != 0)
+		return;
+
+	text_backend->input_method.client = weston_client_launch(text_backend->compositor,
+								&text_backend->input_method.process,
+								text_backend->input_method.path,
+								handle_input_method_sigchld);
+
+	if (!text_backend->input_method.client)
+		weston_log("not able to start %s\n", text_backend->input_method.path);
+}
+
+static void
+handle_seat_created(struct wl_listener *listener,
+		    void *data)
 {
+	struct weston_seat *seat = data;
+	struct text_backend *text_backend =
+		container_of(listener, struct text_backend,
+			     seat_created_listener);
 	struct input_method *input_method;
+	struct weston_compositor *ec = seat->compositor;
 
 	input_method = calloc(1, sizeof *input_method);
 
@@ -479,6 +539,7 @@ input_method_create(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	input_method->model = NULL;
 	input_method->focus_listener_initialized = 0;
 	input_method->context = NULL;
+	input_method->text_backend = text_backend;
 
 	input_method->input_method_global =
 		wl_display_add_global(ec->wl_display,
@@ -489,5 +550,68 @@ input_method_create(struct weston_compositor *ec,
 	wl_signal_add(&seat->seat.destroy_signal, &input_method->destroy_listener);
 
 	seat->input_method = input_method;
+
+	launch_input_method(text_backend);
+}
+
+static void
+text_backend_configuration(struct text_backend *text_backend)
+{
+	char *config_file;
+	char *path = NULL;
+
+	struct config_key input_method_keys[] = {
+		{ "path", CONFIG_KEY_STRING, &path }
+	};
+
+	struct config_section cs[] = {
+		{ "input-method", input_method_keys, ARRAY_LENGTH(input_method_keys), NULL }
+	};
+
+	config_file = config_file_path("weston.ini");
+	parse_config_file(config_file, cs, ARRAY_LENGTH(cs), text_backend);
+	free(config_file);
+
+	if (path)
+		text_backend->input_method.path = path;
+	else
+		text_backend->input_method.path = strdup(LIBEXECDIR "/weston-keyboard");
+}
+
+static void
+text_backend_notifier_destroy(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
+{
+	struct text_backend *text_backend =
+		container_of(listener, struct text_backend, destroy_listener);
+
+	if (text_backend->input_method.client)
+		wl_client_destroy(text_backend->input_method.client);
+
+	free(text_backend->input_method.path);
+
+	free(text_backend);
 }
 
+
+WL_EXPORT int
+text_backend_init(struct weston_compositor *ec)
+{
+	struct text_backend *text_backend;
+
+	text_backend = calloc(1, sizeof(*text_backend));
+
+	text_backend->compositor = ec;
+
+	text_backend->seat_created_listener.notify = handle_seat_created;
+	wl_signal_add(&ec->seat_created_signal,
+		      &text_backend->seat_created_listener);
+
+	text_backend->destroy_listener.notify = text_backend_notifier_destroy;
+	wl_signal_add(&ec->destroy_signal, &text_backend->destroy_listener);
+
+	text_backend_configuration(text_backend);
+
+	text_model_factory_create(ec);
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/weston.ini b/weston.ini
index cb88ebaa..4cad83b5 100644
--- a/weston.ini
+++ b/weston.ini
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ path=./clients/flower
 path=/usr/libexec/weston-screensaver
 duration=600
 
+[input-method]
+path=/usr/libexec/weston-keyboard
+
 #[output]
 #name=LVDS1
 #mode=1680x1050